The Prince of Magic
by Regius-Sanguis
Summary: A former King of Lucis, who was greatly loved by many and did his royal duty even to the bitter end, gets reincarnated and dropped off into another world that was both similar yet different than his own, due to the unanimous decision of the astral gods. The gods were happy with their decision. The recipient of the gift, not so much. (MC is OC) (AU Fate/Extra)
1. Prologue

**Summary**

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To be a King, one must set aside one's personal needs for the sake of others. But, when one was loved by the whole kingdom, the people prayed for his soul to find peace, and the gods heard of their wishes. They (the gods) granted the people's prayers and gave him the special gift of reincarnation.

However, there was a catch... he will no longer remain in their world, but be reborn in another.

The gods were happy with their decision. The young former king of Lucis, not so much.

Watch as he sets on a new adventure in a world that is both similar yet so different than his own, while doing his utmost to remain as himself, (try to) avoid catching the unwanted attention from unsavory individuals, and (attempt to) live his life the way he had always wanted to in his first life.

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**Short Author's Note**

Hello, author of TPoM here!

This is my first official story here, so please take it easy on me. If you any of you have any questions, please do let me know by leaving some comments, or PM if you like. I will do my best to answer them once I have the time to do so. For now, I hope you enjoy the intro of this story. Of course, there will be more to come in the future, so do look forward to them!

Thank you for choosing to view this story! Happy reading, guys! :D

Now with that out of the way, onward with the story!

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(**Disclaimer**: **I do not own the cover for this story, so credits to whoever made the cover. They deserve the praise, not me. If I have the skill and the equipment to draw and upload my own cover for the story, I would have already done it. But unfortunately, I don't, so I decided upload this one since it seems to be the only one that I could find the closest to what I have in mind that relates to the story. The only thing I do own are the OCs of this story and the ideas that are not part of any animes, which are probably few**...)

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**Prologue**

A long time ago, in an alternate world, there was a young man who was born in a prestigious family line blessed with great magical powers and the unnatural talent to handle all kinds of weapons.

The family in question was royalty, in line to the throne of a powerful and ancient holy kingdom that their ancestors have founded since the gods of their world deigned their attention upon them.

They were known as the '**Lucis Caelum**'.

The founder of the said family was a child born from a mortal couple that the astrals deemed worthy of their trust, but he shares the divine blood and the combined powers of two astral gods, the '**Astral Goddess of Death**', **Etro**, and the '**Astral Dragon God of Light**', **Bahamut**.

The founder was 2/3 god and 1/3 human. Simply put, he was a Demi-God born from a human, but possess the divine blood of the astral gods.

He was created with one singular purpose in mind, and that was to put an end to the mad tyranny of the traitorous '**Astral God of Fire**', **Ifrit**, for his reckless and vengeful actions against mankind.

At first, the situation had not been like that. Like the rest of his kind, Ifrit loved mankind as well.

Humans had been created after their image, and even though they were indifferent to the mankind's fragile and ephemeral existence, Ifrit had admired their strength of will.

Granting mankind his flame, a civilization flourished: '**Solheim**'.

Having seen Ifrit's benevolence, the '**Astral Goddess of Ice**', **Shiva**, was moved by his rare gesture of kindness and fell in love with him, along with coming to adore the humans as well.

The **Glacian**, Shiva, had also used to be indifferent towards humans, to the point of even disliking the mortals for the fleeting nature of their lives, and how they cling to their hopes and dreams. But after witnessing their compassion and benevolence in others, she had come to love them too.

From then on, the two astral deities had watched over mankind with joy, along with the rest of the astral gods, content to simply observed the lives of humans and their progress for the future.

However, in time, some Solheimians began to see themselves as superior to the gods and spurned their blessings. Due to the perceived betrayal of the Astrals by Solheim's people, Ifrit had declared war upon them, triggering the event that was soon called the 'War of the Astrals'.

All the eight astrals had sworn to protect Eos, even from each other, and thus, the other astrals had turned against Ifrit.

Left with no allies, Ifrit was resolute in his path of destruction and then created a dangerous plague that threatens all life on Eos, the '**Starscourge**'.

The Starscourge was a powerful plague that he had set upon Eos, which lengthens the night and mutate humans into creatures that was called '**Daemons**'.

It was a plague that had afflicted the denizens of Eos since time immemorial. But, the true origins of the Starscourge remains unknown even to the present.

What was known though, was that the Starscourge was an appellation of organisms infected by a mutant strain of '**Plasmodium Malarie**', which was a sickness that the plague had adapted from.

Once introduced to a body, the photophobic parasites would exert full control, rapidly distorting the physiology and manipulating the behavior of its host, so as to render their hosts' original forms eventually indiscernible while also dispersing a light-absorbing miasma.

Due to Ifrit's machinations and his dangerous creation of the 'Starscourge', Solheim had eventually collapsed and was destroyed via the plague by Ifrit.

The Astral God of Fire, however, was still not satisfied, and soon, he turned his attention upon all of mankind and the remaining cities.

However, his former allies got in the way of his plans.

To prevent Eos from succumbing from the Starscourge, Bahamut, Etro and the other astrals had began to devise a plan that will put Ifrit's reckless actions to a stop and save Eos from the plague.

The conclusion of which they had came to, was the existence of the Founder and a pious woman of the Fleuret family from Tenebrae, who was bestowed with the power to commune with the Seven Astrals. Bahamut even gave her his trident to help her battle the long night beside the founder.

With their combined efforts and determination, the founder and the woman of the Fleuret family had put an end to the long night that plagued the world of Eos for many years.

In addition, the founder had even managed to banished the God of Fire, Ifrit, into the dark pits of the unknown and well away from the realm of humans with the assistance of the astrals.

Ifrit was never seen after that time ever again, but the question remains whether he is truly dead or was simply cast out to the very depths of the unknown, healing and bidding his time to return.

After the war, the astrals had given the two mortals several things as a reward for their efforts.

The woman of the Fleuret family was given a prestigious title known as the '**Oracle**', as a sign of her character, a line to the throne of Tenebrae's kingdom, and the trident that was left in her hands as a sign of the astrals good faith in her and her descendants.

The founder, on the other hand, had been given several things: large acres of land that had received the seven astrals blessings, a ring to that gave him the power over light and death, and a mysterious crystal that he and his descendants were instructed to protect with their very lives.

As it had been passed on in their family's history, the founder was said to be given these 'gifts' by an astral god with a certain purpose in mind, of which he went to work on and use it for better means.

With the vast lands, he built the very foundations of the Kingdom of Lucis upon it. With the ring, he used it as a way to signify the ruler's authority upon the kingdom and even made it as a method to select the next sovereign. And with the crystal, he used it as a way to advance the kingdom's state of technology that far exceeds the ones that were seen in other kingdoms.

The history of the young man's family line was rich with greatness, to the point that many individuals had even considered the Lucis Caelum line to be legendary and greatly blessed by the gods.

Beauty, power, intelligence, talent and wealth.

'_They have it all_', the people would say.

The royal family though, had paid the people's mixed opinions of them with no amount of attention and simply went on with their lives.

They felt that focusing on doing their royal duties and managing the safety and well-being of the kingdom were far more important to them than the differing opinions of the people.

However, with great attention begets great consequences, and that led to the royal family gathering unwanted attention from certain individuals with malicious intentions. The most prominent of them all was the malevolent intentions of Niflheim's Emperor.

Well-known for his almost obsessive beliefs in the myths and legends, the first Emperor had heard of the great tales that were related to the royal family of Lucis and the blessings they received from the astral deities, which had ignited the Emperor's desire to obtain that power for himself, along with his quest to conquer the entire world.

The Emperor's greed and desire to acquire the power that the Lucis Caelum possessed had led him to waging a war against the other kingdoms.

Unfortunately, at the sudden rise of the Empire's advance technology and weaponry, the Emperor's quest to conquer the world was successful for a while.

Until... it was forced into an abrupt stop, thanks to the combined resistance of the other remaining kingdoms, most especially by the holy kingdom of Lucis.

The battle against the Empire went on for quite a while, continuing well into many generations and even when the time of when the young man from the Lucis Caelum line was born.

The young man in question was given the name of **Hadrianus Nox Lucis Caelum**, who then grew up and went in becoming one of the youngest sovereigns that the kingdom of Lucis have had, due to certain circumstances. He was one of the youngest in the family line to rule the kingdom.

Even though he was most certainly not the greatest, he was one of them and among the wisest.

Born in a time of war of when the battle against the Empire's conquest to dominate the world was at its highest, the young Prince had eventually became the King at the tender age of thirteen when his sire, the late 110th King of Lucis, **Aeneas Lucis Caelum**, had fallen to an untimely end after receiving a fatal injury in his last battle with the horde and armies of the Empire.

Thus, forcing the young Lucian Prince to ascend to the throne and take on the mantle of the King with no time to even grieve for his father.

For seven years, Hadrian had done all that he could do to protect the kingdom and looked after the well-being of every one that live within its borders, all while doing his best to remain as himself.

Through it all, he did his best to not let himself become corrupted by the power of being a King and caring for his beloved younger sister, **Astraea Lucis Caelum**, the adored and beloved Princess of the Kingdom, who had still been quite young and innocent at that time.

With almost no regard for his own happiness, Hadrian sacrificed seven years of his life and dedicated it by being active and effective in his rule as the present King of Lucis.

He provided food, shelter and safety to people that had been unfortunate enough to encounter the armies of the Empire who destroyed their homes.

He then improved the mechanics and security of the Wall that guards the kingdom of Lucis from its enemies by removing the fatal side-effects of the barrier while its active, most especially the draining effect of the ring's to its wearer's life force, to a more manageable amount.

While the ring would still drain the life force of the sovereign as long as the Wall was active, he had managed to minimize the amount to a great degree in order to provide the next rulers of his family more time to enjoy their lives.

It was the very least he can do for his future relatives.

In addition, the Wall had become a lot stable and secure, thanks to his improvements, earning him the massive gratitude and adoration of the masses of Lucians.

It was also worth noting that Hadrian had managed to accomplished all of these things while he was looking after his sister and making sure that she grows up well, along with finishing his studies and graduating as a scholar student from a well-known academy, and managing the state of affairs of the kingdom to the best of his ability.

Needless to say, after his ascension as the King of Lucis, he had led quite a busy life for seven whole years, with naught a hint of complaint from him, much to the amazement of his subjects and those who were close to him.

Due to his unique approach as a King of Lucis, Hadrian became widely loved and popular among the masses as a thoughtful, kind, determined yet firm and down-to-earth ruler.

'_The one of a kind King_', the masses would often say.

He then became even more popular after he returned from his short journey in collecting the royal weapons of the past rulers of Lucis from the tombs, and managing it in a short amount of time.

It was then quite well-known that the present King of Lucis was more powerful and creative than most of his predecessors was, and this was soon put to the test as the Empire began to test the borders of Lucis once more... with war.

However, unbeknownst to him, just as he had spent seven years of his life for the betterment of the kingdom and looking after the well-being of his only remaining family, Astraea, little did he know that those seven years of his life would also be his last.

At the age of twenty, the young 111th King of Lucis died, alongside with a few of his retainers, during the time of when he was defending the kingdom from the relentless attacks done by the military force of the Empire It was found that the cause of his death was due to the amount of grievous wounds that he had gained from the dangerous encounter and from the blood lost due to his reckless actions of moving his body a lot, despite the damages that was done upon his body.

As if fate was mocking him, Hadrianus Nox Lucis Caelum had died almost in the same manner as his late father.

The only difference was that he did not go down alone. No, if he were to fall in a battle, then he would do so by taking as many enemies with him for the ride. At the very least, he would be able to dwindle the Empire's forces significantly and provide his allies and people some time to recuperate and strengthen their defenses after the battle.

And go down he did, Hadrian had not only successfully done what he intended to accomplish, but he did so while he received fatal injuries and only stopping after he had killed every one of the Empire's soldiers in his line of sight and the motors of his body had shut down on him.

Thanks to their noble efforts, Hadrian and his loyal subjects had caused the Empire's forces to retreat and return to their kingdom.

The Empire was unable to continue the fight due to the significant loses that they had received from the Lucian King's forces, and even ordering their remaining forces would simply be a suicidal move on their part since the Kingdom of Lucis was impenetrable to invade from the outside, especially after the Wall was improved greatly with its new security measures and the magical barrier itself.

In the end, the current Emperor had no other choice but to call off his forces and return to Niflheim to restore the losses that his army had received from the encounter, while those in Lucis were torn between relief and grief as they all eventually became aware of the passing of their beloved 111th King and the losses they gained on their side.

A few days later, the 111th King of Lucis received a proper burial fit for a ruler of Lucis, and a large majority of the kingdom had came to the day of his funeral and they wept freely at his side.

But, the ones that were most affected by the loss are the ones that were close to him, such as his friends and his only remaining family, Astraea Lucis Caelum.

She and his close friends had watched and witnessed how her beloved brother became the man that he was that day, and they all cannot help but feel that life had treated him quite unfairly.

Losing his mother to a certain illness that plagued Eos for many centuries at the tender age of seven, ascending to the throne as the King of Lucis at thirteen years old, then he was forced to handle the state of affairs of the kingdom almost right after the day his father was buried, all the while looking after Astraea and making sure that she grows up well.

If they had not known him well enough, they would assume that he was a machine with no feelings, seeing as he had managed to keep up with everything that life threw in his way, good or bad. But, it could not be more far off from the truth, and they all knew it from the bottom of their hearts.

Hadrianus Nox Lucis Caelum was the most patient, creative and down-to-earth person that they had ever known, and no one who had met him would dare say otherwise.

The one thing that kept bothering them was that they felt guilty and at a loss for not doing enough to help him, despite knowing about his issues and somewhat reserve character.

Despite his troubles in life and his position as a King, Hadrian have been kind and generous enough during his reign. Be it a local or foreigner, he respected every one and was not type to look down on them, no matter what their stations were.

Rather, he sees all people dwelling in Lucis to be on equal grounds. He doesn't even reproached the ones that speak to him in an informal manner, despite knowing that he was the King of Lucis.

Although, his subjects and retainers would (happily) do it for him whenever he was not looking or distracted by something.

That was how kind-hearted and reserved the late 111th King of Lucis was in life, and they hoped that the astral gods in heaven would at least hear their prayers and give their beloved King the happiness that he deserves and was robbed of in life.

Little did they all know, the astral gods had heard of their prayers and can only approved of their genuine intentions, for they too felt that the young king had lived an unfair life.

Granted, they had seen other mortals out there that had the worst, but the young king's life can also be said the same as well, almost tragic in a sense of the word.

He might had been born from a wealthy family, fortunate enough to inherit such great prestige and the chance to become a king to an ancient, powerful kingdom, to gain a young and adorable sister, and to have friends that pledge their utmost loyalty for him and follow him even in Hell.

But, like all else in life, everything has its downsides, and Hadrian was not an exception.

Above the clouds and overlooking the kingdom, they had all witnessed the young king lived his life to the fullest, despite the many things that came in his way, good or bad.

With everything else that relates to Lucis, along with the nonsensical demands of the Empire, the vile hostility and intentions of the Emperor, maintaining his studies properly, and watching him do his utmost to deal with his own personal demons on his lonesome to avoid worrying his loved ones.

Then finally, they watched him find the answer in his life and made peace with everything else before his last breath. He had a few regrets in his soul, but none that can disturbed his peace of mind.

'_What an amazing young man_...' they all thought. '_If only there are more like him_...'

The seven astral gods had all witnessed the start and the end of the life of one extraordinary young man, and they all can't help but be moved by him, along with his companions.

And so, they all gathered and had decided to help the young king as a reward for his efforts and the bad things that he experienced in life.

The 'help' though, came in the form of... transporting his soul into a different world.

In other words, the astral gods gave him the gift of reincarnation.

The astral gods were happy with this decision and the success of the outcome.

The recipient of the 'gift' on the other hand, not so much, particularly after he had realized who was responsible for it.

Just as the life of a great individual ended in one world, the life of a new one had just begun in the other.

And thus, the start of a new cycle in the life of the former King of Lucis begins.

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**Author's Note**

Aah... poor MC. He died as a single man (T_T)

...

...

Okay, so that was the official rewrite of the prologue. Like I've stated before in my AN's, I had intentions of rewriting the prologue since it did not came out the way I wanted it to. By rewriting this one from scratch, I'm satisfied with it cause I took my time in rewriting it.

It has a lot more information about the Lucis Caelum, the perspective of other characters such as Ifrit and Shiva is there too, and it's more polished than the last one.

Anyways, hope you guy like it. As always, leave a review, follow, and (or) fave if you have the time.

Thank you for the support, everyone. See you guys later! :D


	2. Chapter 1 — The Vortex

**Short Author's Note**

Hello, you beautiful people, and welcome to the first chapter of TPoM!

Now, most of you would notice that it seems to be new. Well, that is because it is. This chapter has just been officially re-written.

The content is still mostly the same. It's just worded differently.

I won't blame any of you if you read this again, because you just might see something different than in its original.

As per usual, most of the AN is at the bottom of this page. So, if you're interested go there and read it once you are finished with the chapter.

Also, if you have the time, leave a follow, fave, and (or) a review and tell me your thoughts about the story so far.

Now, let's get right into the story. Enjoy, and happy reading! :D

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"Words"

'_Thoughts_'

"**Spells**" or "**Abilities**"

**Sound Effects**

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**Chapter 1 — The Vortex**

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...

In a realm of the unknown, there was a lone soul that appeared near in the center of a blue spiral vortex.

Specifically, it was not known how that soul had gotten there. But, the method did not matter in the end, for the soul has already appeared there.

Near to the center of void, there are little spheres of white, gold and blue that wandered around the realm in a circle.

They are the ones that lived in this realm.

Hence, they found themselves curious by the lone soul that suddenly appeared within the midst of their territory.

They took a closer look at him, and saw the memories that were encoded within the soul.

The owner of the soul was strong, capable and wise. Young and powerful as he had been, he did not let himself be corrupted by the sins of the world like most would turn out.

He had been fair and wise in his reign. While a just King in his own right, he was also flexible in his rule and knew how to judge a person's true character.

The little beings admired this one, for he was different unlike the rest they had seen.

Knowing that the soul would be going through the cycle of rebirth, they gave him a parting gift as compensation for their intrusion to his memories.

Together, the little spheres of light had all gathered and covered the lone soul with their smaller forms.

The soul wavered for a while, and appeared to be in pain. But, that was natural, for their parting gift is not a normal one.

Time does not exist in their realm, but it did not take long for the lone soul to vanish and return to the cycle of life, to be reborn.

Once again, the little spheres of light found themselves alone in the realm of the vortex.

...

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[... **Northumberland, England — Night** ...]

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...

Lucia was in a rare blissful state, despite her somewhat haggard appearance.

Earlier, she had just given birth to her first child that she made with the the man that she loves deeply.

Her thoughtful and loving husband, Arin von Aelfryth, was seated beside her as they both gazed upon the sleeping face of their child.

The newborn was currently wrapped in a baby blue cloth that keeps his body warm from the cold weather of the night.

"Hmm... he looks quite beautiful, no?" Arin smiled softly, whispering as he took care not to speak audibly in fear for their son to wake up.

"I know I have said this often enough, but he takes after your beauty, my love. I can only imagine how many women would be following after him once he grows up into a man."

"No, he's the perfect mixture of us, Arin." Lucia giggled, amused by the idea of women going after her son. "I have seen his eyes, albeit briefly. He has the color of your eyes."

Arin looked at her in surprise, obvious excitement and joy clear in his cyan eyes for anyone to see.

"Really?" Arin asked, smiling widely when he received a simple nod of confirmation from his wife before he turned his gaze upon his resting son once again. "Ha, I can't wait for him to open his eyes."

"So can I, my love." Lucia smiled, giving her husband a loving peck on his cheek.

The married couple stared at their child in comfortable silence before it was broken by Arin, who appeared to have remembered something important.

"By the way, have you informed father yet?" Arin asked in wonder, curiosity obvious in his voice.

"Why, of course." Unperturbed, Lucia answered his question without even turning her gaze away from her son's adorable sleeping face.

Seeing how red her son's cheeks are gave her a strong urge to pinch them, but she managed to restrain herself as she continued.

"My father, of all people, is never one to be the last when it comes to important news."

With a proud smile that only seems to amplify the level of her beauty in his point of view, Lucia turned to look at her husband as she held their beloved son closer to her bosom with great care.

"This is his heir to the family's house and to his legacy, after all. Our son has become the most important person in our society simply by existing. I do not think my father would dare to let anything harm him now that he has confirmed that our son is suited to inherit his power. If anything, this would motivate him to train our child to be the perfect heir to inherit his magic than those unscrupulous and unworthy ones that he was forced to settle with in the past."

At Arin's surprised and somewhat dazed expression, Lucia merely smiled before turning back to her son, cooing softly to him as she felt the newborn wrapped in baby blue gripped her finger lightly.

"But, learning the ways of True Magic can come later, little one. For now, let us first make sure that you grow up well and not turn out like your dear grandfather. One of **him** is enough in our family."

With a soft kiss upon her child's forehead, Lucia and Arin had spent the entire day watching over the cute sleeping face of little Hadrianus Mathius von Schweinorg, who was blissfully unaware of his great inheritance that a many individuals in the moonlit world had tried to covet for themselves for years.

...

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[... **West Wing — Clock Tower** ...]

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...

In the main office of the West Wing building, there was a man who was sitting on a chair, looking greatly pleased with himself.

The room was dimly lit, almost too dark to safely walk around, but the man in the chair did not mind it, not one bit.

There had only been several moments in his life that truly made him happy.

The first was when he met his wife. Second was when he married her. Third was when she gave birth to their first child, a girl.

'_Fourth... Hm? ... Hmm_...'

The man rubbed his chin in thought, frowning.

No, giving away his beloved daughter to a man does not count, but when it made her happy, he supposed it's a bittersweet moment for him.

Besides, the man doubted that Arin would dishonor his daughter. The boy clearly loves his daughter, and that's all that matters to him.

And fifth, was when he had achieved his life-long dream that most of his kind would often lost their lives to gain.

Now, there is a new one that was about to be included into the list of things that made him happy.

Several hours ago, his only daughter, Lucia, had given birth to a healthy boy.

His grandson. His heir.

'_Finally_... _To think that the only one who would be worthy of my legacy would come from my own flesh and blood_.'

Crimson eyes with vertical slits glowed brightly in the dimly lit study as he stared at nothing in particular, lost in his own thoughts.

What caused his elation even further was his most recent discovery.

His grandson, a mere babe, has a direct connection to the Root.

In addition to that, the man found that his grandson has extraordinary circuits and was gifted.

Meaning, his grandson has a natural talent in the mystical arts.

He chuckled, which soon turned into a full blown laughter.

For a whole minute, the office was filled with the sounds of his laughter.

While it may cause a concern to the local residents and everyone who walked pass his territory, the man does not give a damn nor does he care.

He is allowed to do whatever he please while in his own space. Besides, he doubted that anyone could have the courage to deny him from doing what he wants.

The laughter slowed down into low rumbles until silence reigned the room again.

The (in)famous **Magician of the Second Magic**, the **Kaleidoscope**, Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg grinned.

'_Fuhuhu, I cannot wait for the time when you are ready to learn. I wonder how much you'll grow strong, and how far you'll go... enkel_.'

He let out a loud laughter once more, unknowingly terrifying the poor students who were only walking by the West Wing building outside.

...

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**Author's Note**

* * *

Okay, so that's chapter one finished. I've decided to rewrite this chapters because I made a mistake of including Waver Velvet in the story too early.

So, that's my bad. I didn't think it through enough, but hopefully, with this new one, it's better and will go along with the plot more smoothly this way.

I'm surprised that no one actually pointed out that mistake to me. I thought someone would call me out about it, but no one did when the second and third chapters came out.

Oh well, at least I fixed it. It's a short chapter, that's for sure. But, at least, this gave you guys a better perspective of what is actually going on in this chapter.

Also, yes, I'm well aware that the second part remains the same. No need to point it out. I left that mostly untouched because there's really no reason for me to remove it.

Leaving that there gives the readers a better view about the content of this chapter.

It didn't really take too long for me to write this, seeing as the only real changes in this chapter is the first and third parts.

Anyways, I hope you guys like it. It had been fun for me to rewrite it again, especially Zelretch's part.

Not because he's a troll or anything, but because he's one of the characters that I like in Nasuverse.

And I know I've said this before, but if you have the time, please follow, fave, and (or) leave a review for this story.

If you have questions, feel free to leave it in the review, and I'll answer them once I have the time to check in.

Thank you all for the follows, faves and the reviews, guys! I appreciate the support that you have for this story, despite its flaws.

That's all for now. I'll see you guys later. Have a nice day and I bid you all an adieu! :D


	3. Chapter 2 — A Brewing Storm (1)

Hello, dear readers and welcome to chapter 2 of '**TPoM**'! :)

As I've promised, I had cut the chapter into two because it's long to read it on a mobile devices. This is to make the other readers adjust to the story and won't be overwhelmed by it.

Anyways, for now, enjoy the chapter! See you guys in the next! :D

Please follow, fave and (or) a review for the story if you have the time!

* * *

"Words"

'_Thoughts_'

"**Spells**" or "**Abilities**"

***Sound Effects***

* * *

**Chapter 2 — A Brewing Storm (1)**

* * *

...

* * *

[... **London, England - Clock Tower** ...]

* * *

...

In the West Wing of the Clock Tower, there lies an office owned by one of the most well-renowned individuals in the Moonlit World.

The office itself was consisted of things that were typically seen in a private office of someone with wealth; two black leather couches for visitors to sit on that faced each other, a moderate-sized knee-high table, a few bookshelves filled with large tomes with no titles on the covers situated on the left and right walls, a large dark brown mahogany desk and a black chair.

Inside the office, two men were currently deep in conversation.

Seated comfortably on the black leather sofa, was a man in his early thirties with long loose black hair and dark gray eyes. With the height of 186cm, he has a pale skin tone and bears the features of someone of European descent. He wore a long red coat with golden ornamentations on its shoulders, a black t-shirt beneath a charcoal long-sleeve shirt, dark blue pants and black shoes.

What stood out the most about him was the tremendously sour expression on his face that was, interestingly enough, lacking in its usual intensity.

Although, the main cause for its lack of intensity was probably due to the other man standing by the large glass window of the office that was behind the large desk.

Said male was tall, broad-shouldered and has short silver gray hair that was slicked back wildly with a few short strands falling over his face. He was dressed in an all-black custom-made suit with a short cape with gold ornaments on its shoulders. The garment was held together by a thin piece gold ornament to keep it from slipping off his shoulders. He was also wearing a pair of white gloves.

To most observers, the man has the appearance of a rough-looking gentleman in a dapperly suit.

The man with silver gray hair has his back facing the long-haired man with his hands folded behind him, and via the reflection of the window was a pair of crimson eyes with vertical slits, looking at the other male occupant in the room with a steady and focused gaze that can make even a brave man to pause and sweat.

The crimson eyes looked almost as if they were glowing, thanks to the dim lighting of the chandelier hanging in the center of the room, nearly obscuring his features from the other man.

Fortunately, the long-haired man had seen much worst in his younger years. Therefore, he remained unperturbed by the somewhat eerie gaze that was currently locked onto him.

**Lord El-Melloi** spoke after a few moments of silence in the room, placing the white folder on the table with a hint of disgust and frustration.

"This is the sixth time now. Six locations in two months, and countless of people dead. Nearly half of them were even Magi. First, it was on our soils, then France, Germany, America, Russia, and Japan. The Root only knows how many more of these... murders had happened around the world."

He glared at the folder that contained recent reports of his investigation, some which came from his sources, but information of the identity of the instigator of the case still remained unknown, which is something that bothered him the most.

Taking out a cigarette out of his coat's inner pocket, Lord El-Melloi II turned his gaze to the other man in the room as he lit the cancerous stick and smoked.

"This is all that I can find without risking the lives of my sources further. Have you found anything new on your end, Lord Schweinorg?"

The man with silver gray hair, **Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg**, turned to face the long-haired professor.

He walked around the desk to the rear of the other couch with an unusually solemn expression upon his aging countenance. He did not sit on the couch, but simply remained standing behind it with one hand laid on top of the head rest.

"On some account, I may have." The Wizard Marshall answered, voice slightly gruff and nonchalant.

"These incidents seems to have a purpose to them. Other than appearing as a series of murders with a touch of an occultist to the normal masses, I know better, and the others in the Mage's Association agrees with my view on this case."

Curious by this answer, Lord El-Melloi II asked with a frown. "What do you mean?"

Dark gray eyes widened slightly in realization, he tensed. "Does this mean th-"

"No." Zelretch shook his head.

The long-haired professor sighed in relief.

But, it was short-lived by the next words that was uttered.

"But, there is a chance that it might. However, based on the ritual designs, the number of sacrifices, and the locations. They are all connected. I know it. Hadrian knows it as well. This is not the work of a Magus trying to reach the Root. No... this is something different."

A tense silence reign the office as the two Magi imagined what the instigator of the recent incidents around the world was planning in the future.

Both men's faces were grim, and they remained silent, lost in their own thoughts.

The long-haired professor sighed, feeling stressed and drained from the recent news that he was informed of lately, but then he remembered what the Wizard Marshall said.

By the mentioned of the Schweinorg heir, Lord El-Melloi II followed up another question.

"Speaking of which, where is he? I haven't seen that boy around since that event."

And by '**event**', Lord El-Melloi II was referring to the one that lead to the young man's rapid ascent in reputation as a new and upcoming Magician.

In the 1970's, there was a certain major incident that rendered the world's mana to start drying up, causing it to split off into its own separate universe.

Around the time of 2030s, the world's mana was completely gone.

Then, when the year of 2032 came, a group of Magi from the Mage's Association and the Western European Conglomerate made a discovery about a unique massive collection of photonic crystals within the Moon that comprises a giant super-computer of sorts.

Through their discovery, the Magi from the two factions found that the Moon Cell's photonic crystals are shown to had been created 4.6 billion years before the Age of Man, making it a construct formed roughly around 100 years ago before even the formation of the Earth.

It holds the '**Moon Cell Automaton**', which was a spiritual computer system built on the lunar surface by a pre-human civilization.

The Magi of that time had also discovered that it can affect the outside world with its calculations.

It has the power to '**grant wishes**'.

In this way, it can be thought of as a Pandora's Box that promises a god-like power to intelligent lifeforms, who have become technologically advanced enough to scan the interior of the moon.

It was then officially named as the '**Moon Cell**'.

It was also known by other names, such as the '**Eye of God**', the '**Divine Automatic Recording Device**', and last but not least, the '**Holy Grail**'.

Then, the start of that 'event' happened. A Holy Grail War on the inner side of the Moon had began.

After it was discovered by the Magi of that time, it had managed to hack into every computer system around the world and connect to them within two seconds of contact.

This had rendered all internet security systems useless, as anyone could get into any other computer via the passageways through the Moon Cell as long as one could connect to the internet.

In order to determine who was truly worthy of using its power, the Moon Cell started the Holy Grail War, where '**Spirit Hackers**' who had hacked themselves into the ** .PH.** (**Serial Phantasm**) fight for the right to use the Moon Cell's tremendous power.

When the Holy Grail War began, countless of participants had died and, for some unknown reason, none were chosen as the victor.

999 participants of the first Holy Grail War in the Moon fought and died, due to an unknown reason that they had yet to uncover at that time.

No one was chosen as the victor, and none had survived.

The wars did not end, and it had continued on for several years.

When the Western European Conglomerate and the Mage's Association realized the oddity, they had issued a temporary peace treaty between their factions to investigate the grave situation.

The two factions had to set aside their differences for the sake of bringing order with their respective groups, due to a lot of greedy Magi who were trying to take advantage of the confounding situation.

During that time, they had to prevent a lot of people from reaching the Moon Cell, by prohibiting all space travel from around the world. The two factions also made a pact to work together and keep its existence a secret from the average humans.

After a few years of forcing order and discipline in their own groups, the two factions had began to let other magi participate in the Holy Grail War again, including the ones from their own factions.

Before they did though, the two factions had to issue a strict set of rules and requirements that the candidates must meet first before they can enter the war, leaving no exceptions.

It was also worth noting that they did not let outsiders with no relations in the moonlit world to participate in the Holy Grail War.

But, they were unable to prevent the ones with great hacking skills to enter the battle on the Moon, much to their chagrin.

Lord El-Melloi II had been one of the participants in the previous Grail War.

He had been young and brash, too naive to know exactly what he was getting himself into.

After his professor, **Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald**, had publicly humiliated him in front of the class and told him that his radical thesis concerning increasing magical potential laughable. Caring little for his feelings, Kayneth had decided to tear up Waver's manuscript after he publicly humiliated him during a lecture.

Waver, in retaliation, stole Kayneth's artifact and entered the Holy Grail War on the Moon, which led to the death of a great Magus by the name of **Arin von Aelfryth**.

The war had been brutal and cruel, forcing each **999** participants to kill one another in order to be a part of the **128 candidates** that will be in the tournament.

Week after week, he was forced to kill his opponent via elimination.

Defeat was not an option. To survive the battle is to win, and death is the reward for those who lost.

In his case, it had been a close call with death.

He had been against his former mentor, **Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald**, and was about to be defeated when someone managed to interfere in the battle.

Lord El-Melloi II can still remember it clearly.

His former mentor had caught him in a trap, forcing his Servant, **Rider**, **Iskandar**, the **King of Conquerors**, to take a defensive stance and try to help him, but the enemy Servant kept him at bay.

In the end, it was not to be.

His Servant had been close to being defeated, and Kayneth was already upon him. He was prepared to move in for the kill after having injured Waver with a spell.

Even today, the long-haired professor of the Clock Tower can still feel the phantom pains of the scar that his former mentor left him with on his chest.

He had been scared at that time. The fear of death was real, and he truly felt it.

Then, as if answering his prayers, someone had hacked into the fight and joined the battle, saving him from the blow that would have definitely killed him.

What made him even more confused was the sudden appearance of a certain Magus that he only knew by name. The person who saved him was **Arin von Aelfryth**, much to their surprises.

It was widely known in their society who the man was.

Arin von Aelfryth was a highly respected Magus in the Mage's Association and in the Clock Tower, due to his research on a unique magical system.

Not only that, the man became rather famous when it was officially announced that he was married to the only daughter of a certain Magician. Him being the younger brother of the user of the First True Magic, who had recently passed away ten years ago, was also widely acknowledged.

There were even rumors that the man was eligible to be the next Magician, considering as the user of the First Magic had passed on their research to him, but whenever someone had asked Arin that question, he would simply laugh it off and dismissed it as a mere jest.

Lord El-Melloi II took note that the man didn't deny the inheritance rumor though.

Still, he owed the man his life. If not for his actions, he would not even be able to survive and leave that cruel place in one piece. So, he returned the favor by helping the man on the sidelines.

His Servant had been killed during that battle though. Rider went down fighting to the bitter end as his former mentor tried to finish the job by disposing of him quickly.

But, due to Arin's interference and the Moon Cell's putting the match to a stop, he had managed to leave the arena alive with Arin and his Servant ensuring his safety.

From then on, he had dedicated most of his time in assisting the two to win the tournament.

Waver may still be considered as an eligible Master at that time, but he had no intention to continue in participating in the tournament any longer. Simply put, he had enough of it.

It was fortunate that the Moon Cell did not forcefully deleted him from the system. Otherwise, Waver would not had been able to leave that place alive.

Of course, his former mentor had been quite enraged by the interference.

Kayneth directed that rage upon Arin, and the two men had gained the chance to settle their scores in the battlefield when they were both paired to fight, courtesy of the Moon Cell's bidding.

It was also worth noting that Kayneth had often considered Arin von Aelfryth to be his arch-rival, due to their near similar backgrounds and achievements, though the latter was more accomplished than Kayneth could ever be in Waver's opinion.

In the end, Arin von Aelfryth was the one who came out of the battle victoriously.

Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald did not managed to win against him, and he was left to die below the Arena.

From then on, week after week, he had worked with Arin and his Servant, supporting them from the sidelines with vital information on the next opponent and among other things.

When the last battle was done and Arin came out as the only Master left with his Servant by his side, it was finally time to see what was truly happening with the war.

**Why did the Holy Grail War had continued for so long?**

**Why had there been no victors that was announced back then?**

These were the questions that kept going through their minds as they walked upon the path that the Moon Cell had provided for them.

When the three of them went inside the area where the core of the Moon Cell was located, they had been shocked to find out the truth of the strange war that has no victors for many years.

...

* * *

**Author's Note**

* * *

...

Okay, that's part one done! :D

There's really nothing much to say here other than saying that Kayneth is an as*hole.

The events of the Moon war is mostly similar to Fate/Extra. That, and I'll see you in the next chapter! Adieu for now! :D

...

...


	4. Chapter 3 — A Brewing Storm (2)

Welcome to chapter 3. The second part of chapter 2. Enjoy!

Also, AN is below the page, so if you're interested, please go there after reading.

Anyways, thank you for your patience and happy reading! :)

* * *

**Guest: Is it Apocrypha? Will he eventually go to Chaldea?**

**A** \- Sorry for the delayed answer. Your review didn't exactly pop up in the 'Review' section of this story. Apparently, FFnet has a bug that's been around for quite a while now, and it affects the lag of reviews. I don't know why they have yet to fix that cause it's quite bothersome.

Anyways, as for your question...

No, to the first, because that's Sieg's territory. That's like his story and he deserves that spotlight, so the MC won't be involve with the first world.

As for the second world though, he might, but that's like in some of the sequels of this story. Far into the future. Characters from the two worlds might make an appearance in the story though, so you can look forward to that.

Thank you for the review and for giving attention to the story. Have a good day and stay safe now! :D

* * *

"Words"

'_Thoughts_'

"**Spells**" or "**Abilities**"

**Sound Effects**

* * *

**Chapter 3 — A Brewing Storm (2)**

* * *

...

Someone had been manipulating the war from behind the scenes.

Not only that, they found that that person had also been the instigator of what had been happening in the world recently.

The continuous wars around the world. The countless bodies of innocent people, and the regression of mankind's growth in population, all of which were caused by the wars.

The encounter led to a final battle, and Arin and his Servant tried to defeat the instigator of the wars, but unfortunately, the Servant of that person was too strong.

Moreover, the Master of that Servant had no intention of letting them leave the area alive.

Cornered and left with no choice, Arin had decided to send Waver Velvet back to Earth rather than to worry over his own safety and leave that place alive.

Waver had protested at first, but when he heard of the man's words, he too knew that the situation was already out of their hands.

'**_Everyone must know of what is going on here, and that won't happen if you die here as well!_**'

There was no other choice, but to do the smart thing in that situation. They were overwhelmed, and no matter what they tried to do, it was not enough to defeat the enemy.

Someone had to inform the people there of what was truly happening on the Moon, and Arin chose Waver over himself to do it instead of being selfish.

Caught between the right and wrong, Waver was left with no choice when Arin had cast a spell upon him that causes the target to leave the Moon without the risk of being detected by the Moon Cell. Waking up in the soul transference coffin was not one of the things that Lord El-Melloi II was fond of recalling in his life, nor will it ever be.

The aftermath of the event had been quite draining on him as well.

Possessing important information related to the Moon Cell, he prepared himself to face the music and informed his superiors about what had happened.

Due to complicated circumstances and as a reward for his efforts, Waver Velvet was given the name of '**Lord El-Melloi II**' to replace Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald as the acting Head of his house.

Apparently, his former mentor was the Head and he left the household with no one worthy to inherit his position. The house does not lack in numbers, but no one had the capabilities who can truly hold the position, much to their chagrin. The youngest of their family had talent and the potential to be, but the higher-ups deemed her still too young to act as the Head of their household.

Instead, the higher-ups of the Mage's Association made the decision for them and gave Waver the Head position, due to his capabilities being closer and similar to the previous Head of the house.

From then on, Waver Velvet was known as '**Lord El-Melloi II**'.

It had not been easy for him to be accepted in their household, but they had no other choice in the matter, not unless they incurred the wrath of both the higher-ups of the Mage's Association and the old Wizard Marshall for their previous Head's actions against his son-in-law.

But, the one that Lord El-Melloi II would always remember during the aftermath of the event was the expressions of the people that were close to Arin von Aelfryth.

Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg appeared unemotional, but the narrowing of his crimson eyes had been quite telling of what was exactly his thoughts about the matter.

The infamous man did not expressed any anger towards him.

No, it had been quite obvious to Waver that the man was angered by the results of the event, not by the fact that Waver was the only one to survive it.

On the other hand, the expression upon **Lucia von Schweinorg**'s face, the wife of his savior, had been almost the same, but the telling of her sadness and grief had been palpable.

The long-haired professor closed his eyes, focusing on inhaling the cigarette on his lips.

The guilt in his chest of watching Arin face against that person before he was forcefully ejected out of the Moon Cell's arena remained quite strong.

The guilt became even stronger when he heard the news of his once pupil and the son of his savior, **Hadrianus Mathius von Schweinorg**, had intentions to participate in the next war.

When Hadrian was still young, Lord El-Melloi II had been requested by the Wizard Marshall to teach the boy about the basics of Magecraft at home.

As the next Head of the Schweinorg house, Hadrian must learn the basics of Magecraft first. The old Magician has intentions of teaching the boy the art of True Magic in the future, but since Hadrian had yet to reach the proper level requirement that Zelretch had placed, the Magecraft comes first.

Of course, he accepted the offer because he was curious about the boy himself. His guilt influencing his decision was simply part of the reason why he accepted the request without complaint.

He had seen and been around the young man for a few years, and Lord El-Melloi found him to be an impressive boy, who was not afraid of hard work and mature for his age.

Surprisingly, the young man does not take after his father, nor his grandfather for that matter.

In the mystical arts, he takes after them a lot. But, in terms of personality, only specks of it.

He found the boy to be mature yet somewhat carefree, calm yet happy-going, somewhat naive yet smart and quite cunning, and among other things.

It had been quite the pleasure for him to find out that the boy had a knack for playing games. Video games, to be precise. When he had introduced a console game to him, Hadrian was quick to pick up on the mechanics of the game and even managed to beat him.

Never did Lord El-Melloi II thought that he would find a kindred spirit, a fellow gamer, in someone as young and talented as Hadrianus Mathius von Schweinorg.

In addition to his skills in playing games, the boy have proven himself quite worthy of the title as the Heir to house Schweinorg through his obvious talent in Magecraft.

Since his admission in the Clock Tower, Hadrian had taken to the lessons taught by all the professors much like how a sponge would absorbed water.

It had been quite the impressive sight to witness a boy of fourteen years old create his own brand of Magecraft, though he heard from Hadrian that he modeled it after his father's Magecraft.

Still, it was still an impressive thing to see nonetheless.

In fact, it had even impressed the higher-ups of the Clock Tower, greatly to the point that they had decided to give him a title, as a way for others to acknowledge his efforts and great talent.

The '**Prince of Magic**', they dubbed him.

Lord El-Melloi II found the title to be suitable for him, as well as the others.

Hadrian though, does not seemed to care about it.

The boy even looked irritated by the title sometimes, if the long-haired professor can guess correctly by the twitch of the boy's eyebrow every time he hears it.

It didn't helped his case at all when the **Queen** of the Clock Tower, **Lorelei Barthomeloi**, had decided to take him under her wing when she was requested by Lord Zelretch to teach the boy the advance levels of Magecraft to improve Hadrian's capabilities as a Magus.

The Queen had accepted the task.

It helped that the boy had relations to the late user of the First True Magic, who was a close friend of hers in the past. That, and she was also interested in his capabilities as a Magus after she had heard of his great wealth of talent from her colleagues within the Mage's Association.

Lord El-Melloi II was not surprised when he had first heard of this news.

While his capabilities as a Magus had earned him the respect and renown that he had long for in the past, his skills in Magecraft would never mount up to the level of the Queen's.

In an honest fight, Lorelei would overwhelm and kill him before he can even activate his circuits and cast a single spell.

That was simply how terrifyingly impressive the Queen's abilities as a Magus.

Under her strict tutelage, Hadrian's growth as a Magus grew leaps and beyond what many of them had expected.

Lord El-Melloi II even heard from Lord Zelretch that he might soon be ready to learn the basics of True Magic, which surprised him since the old man had taken ten years to be prepared and another ten to hone his craft and technique in handling the obscure mystical art called the 'Kaleidoscope'.

And at that time, Hadrian was simply thirteen years of age.

That was why, when he heard the boy had volunteered to participate in the war last year, he had voiced his disapproval of Hadrian's decision.

He knew the reason why Hadrian wanted to participate, and he had disapproved of his choice.

It was quite obvious that the boy wanted to find out what happened to his father by himself.

The two of them argued about it, and it ended with Hadrian walking away from him, resolute in his going in his own way. The scene of watching the boy's back retreating made him recall of when he had been younger, naive and too confident for his own good.

Lord El-Melloi II had been quite bitter about it ever since.

However, in the end, his worries were unfounded when the boy had done something that his father had failed to accomplished.

At the age of fourteen years old, Hadrian had won the war, and the Moon Cell was no longer available to be claimed by other people.

The news had rocked the entirety of the moonlit world.

The magi of the Mage's Association had been elated, especially the Clock Tower's.

The Western European Conglomerate though, were angry but resigned to the outcome.

What happens in the Holy Grail War, stays in the war. All candidates were aware of the consequences of participating in the event, and the rules had been straightforward.

Even though the Moon Cell started the war, the rules that it had issued was strict yet straightforward, and the major candidates of the war can only deem the Moon Cell as a fair system.

Harsh and brutal, but fair all the same.

It also helped ease their worries that the Moon Cell was careful in selecting candidates to participate in the event, considering as there had been no average humans and (or) civilians that were involved.

Their chosen candidate, **Leonardo B. Harway**, did not come through and was defeated by the famous '**Prince of Magic**', Hadrianus Mathius von Schweinorg, of the Clock Tower.

Although, Lord El-Melloi II heard from Hadrian that there had been minor setbacks along the way, but in the end, he had emerged victorious and survived the event.

As angry as they were by the outcome, there was really nothing else they can do about it. Trying to raise the issue for the sake of avenging their chosen candidate would only incur the unwanted attention of the powerful individuals within the Mage's Association who are allies of the boy, including a certain old Magician with an infamous reputation.

In addition, the cause of their anger, Hadrian von Schweinorg, is a powerful and talented Magus in his own right, highly capable of handling himself in a battle, and many people has expectations that he is soon to be the next Magician in the future. Furthermore, he also has the support and tremendous power of the Moon Cell beneath his fingertips.

Now, how can they, the West European Conglomerate, be able to take their revenge against the boy after knowing all that power and the amount of allies surrounding him, without risking their safety and inviting their deaths much too early? That is, if the Wizard Marshall would be kind enough to give them a quick and peaceful death.

Even with all of their resources, they can't do anything against someone who is powerful, surrounded by a lot of allies and has endless resources at his disposal.

Thus, the W.E.C. had forced themselves to stay silent and retreated into their territories without a word, eager to forget about the event that cost them their most prized candidate.

The outcome had been decided, and the winner was finally revealed.

There will be no more wars. No more battles to the death. No more wishes to be granted. The Moon Cell had decided who its owner was going to be, and so the grail wars had soon came to a close.

The inner side of the Moon was no longer available to be hacked in. After the war was done, it was simply no longer accessible to all people, no matter what they tried.

It was as if it was no longer there, and that the Moon Cell doesn't exist any more.

Everything soon went back to normal.

Lands that suffered wars were slowly being restored to its healthy state. Buildings were being built, and civilization were flourishing. People were happy.

All magi went back to their own businesses, doing what they always loved to do, such as advancing their research on Magecraft and trying to reach the Root of Akasha as was the norm.

There was one person who was not particularly happy, and that was Hadrian himself.

After his victorious return from the Holy Grail War, many people from the moonlit world had began to correlate the title with his name, calling him the '**Prince**' instead of just his name.

His recent achievement did not simply made him famous among their kind, but in every corners of the moonlit world.

Lord El-Melloi II even heard from Zelretch that his colleagues in the high circles of the Dead Apostles were taking an interest in the boy.

Now, he does not know which was worse.

The Dead Apostles taking an interest in the boy, or Zelretch being happy and quite proud about it.

Ignoring the man's bout of eccentricity that time, he did remember informing the boy about it. And as expected, he did not took the news well, by the looks of the frown that was on his face.

Nevertheless, even with all the fame and power, Hadrian did not let those things stopped him from living his life in the way he wanted to.

Which was something Lord El-Melloi II found to be strange yet admirable.

The boy was obviously strong, not just physically, but also mentally. Hadrian obviously knows what he wants, and he knows how to get it no matter what anyone says.

'_He's determined_...' The long-haired professor mused, putting out his cigarette in the ash tray. '_Wish I had been like that when I was young. Maybe then_...'

Lord El-Melloi II shook his head.

He had been there, and he did not want to remain there while he was not alone in the room. In a private area, perhaps he can mull over about his thoughts, but not now.

Arin's family did not even blame him for what happened in the previous war. They knew the risks, and they had been prepared for the outcome of the result.

While his guilt remains strong and alive, Lord El-Melloi II knew that they don't hold him accounted for what had happened, no matter what his guilt and thoughts says otherwise.

It had taken him quite a while to realized that, but in the end, he had made peace with it.

But alas, not all things was peaceful, and soon enough, there was trouble brewing in the distance.

The one being the recent murders that had been occurring around the world, such as the one that contains information of the case inside the folder on the table.

When it happened, the Mage's Association had taken a tremendous effort in keeping the case tight and only known to their kind. To the average masses, they had to carefully manipulate the media to avoid panics and riots when it was first known in the news.

Numerous counts of murders occurred around the world, and it was found that most of them were done with via the Magecraft, which threatens the safety of the Magi's existence from being exposed to the average humans and the world.

The power of what the humans called the **Media** was something to feared, seeing as it can threaten the secrecy of their kind to be in the spotlight of the world.

And so, the Mage's Association ordered the matter to thoroughly investigated and discover who was behind the recent murders by ordering most Magi in their ranks, including himself.

Thanks to the Holy Grail War, many members from different families had perished.

The magi in all of the remaining factions had dwindled to a mere 3000, and only 1500 of them were deemed capable to be a part of the investigation teams handling the cases.

Needless to say, it had been quite a busy few months as the majority of the magi in all factions tried to investigate the strange murder cases, working together from time to time when they meet.

Hadrian and his other pupils had also been part of the investigation, and they are working with each other to look into the cases to see if they can find anything new by going to the locations where the murders had began and was discovered.

Last he had seen of the boy was around a week ago, when Hadrian had paid a visit to let him know that he was going abroad to find something that relates to the case.

Lord El-Melloi II simply waved the boy away, but he didn't know where he would be going. So, he asked the one who would most likely know about the whereabouts of his former pupil.

Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg himself.

The long-haired professor noticed the man smile at the mention of his grandson, obviously proud.

That was something that he noticed about the Wizard Marshall lately. The old Magician was certainly proud of Hadrian, especially after he had emerged victorious from the war.

Now, many would think that the old Magician would be indifferent to his grandson's achievements, considering his (in)famous reputation and being a Magus of great renown himself.

But, it seems that the old man may be more human than he is as a Magus, despite his eccentricities and how people perceived him as.

'_Now, wouldn't that be ironic?_' Lord El-Melloi II mused, resisting the urge to smirk. '_The powerful and great Magician of the Clock Tower being more compassionate than how most magi are_.'

He was broken out of his musings when the other man began to speak.

"He's currently in America at my behest." The old Magician said, walking around the couch and seat himself in the center as he continued. "I heard from my sources that they saw something odd there, so I sent him to investigate it immediately."

"What type of oddity was it for you to send him there personally?"

"The dangerous kind." Zelretch answered with a mysterious smile.

Lord El-Melloi II frowned, looking thoughtful.

He wondered why the old Magician answered him vaguely, but he also trusts the man to tell him the truth soon if what Hadrian found was something worthy of their attention or not.

He had worked with the Wizard Marshall numerous times in the past, enough to be able to discern the other man's habits.

If he answered a question vaguely, then it simply means that he's unsure of whether how much he found the information was true or false.

But, that's not the part that concerned Lord El-Melloi II.

As if reading his mind, Zelretch's smile widened.

"You do not need to worry." The old Magician assured him as he leaned back against the couch. "He will be safe, and his companions are there with him to ensure his protection."

"I know that, but that's not the only thing I'm concerned about." Lord El-Melloi II shook his head.

"Then what is?" Zelretch asked with a raised brow.

"The one behind these cases, and their true intentions."

Immediately, the ageing countenance of the Wizard Marshall to still and darkened, causing the long-haired professor to pause and remain silent.

It was one of these moments that reminded Lord El-Melloi II who was the person in front of him.

This was not the doting and proud grandfather of the boy who had been his pupil.

No, this was the facade of the powerful Magician of the Second True Magic, **Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg**.

He may have aged and changed a little, but the old Magician remain as one of the strongest people in the moonlit world even to the present day, and everyone knows this.

"Ah... **that**." Zelretch spoke slowly, calm yet solemn.

The old Magician laid an arm upon the top of the English regency sofa and tilted his head to the left, almost glaring as he direction his gaze upon the folder on the table.

"These... **cases**." Zelretch began, turning his gaze back to him. "They remind me of something that I do not care nor ever want to recall. It's something I would prefer to keep dead and buried. Just even the thought of it irritates more than I could ever admit."

Surprised by this admission, Lord El-Melloi II couldn't help but asked.

"What does it remind you of?"

"The past." Zelretch answered, almost snarling out of anger. "One that I should've put an **end** to..."

Leaving the younger man to ponder about his answers, Zelretch turned his head to look at the view by the window, idly noting the gray clouds that covered the skies of London.

A storm was brewing in the distance, and Zelretch had a feeling that his grandson was going to be in the center of it.

Perhaps it is time for Hadrian to learn the ways of True Magic.

...

* * *

**Author's Note**

* * *

...

**Oh my god...**

Well, those are two chapters done. You guys wouldn't believe how long it took me to write this scene. I was just... **in the zone**. It's scary.

I just kept writing, writing and then writing. And when I look at my screen, it just became that long.

When I first started writing this, I intended to keep it short and simple, but then, the writer in me just decided to say '**screw it**' and voila.

It's my story anyways, so who cares what others think of it. I just don't give a damn anymore. (T_T)

Also, Zelretch may seem more compassionate here than it was in canon. Please let me remind of how he acts around Arcued Brunestud. He was kind with her around the first time they met, and it was even written in his wiki page that he acts like **her surrogate grandfather**. So, I don't really see why he shouldn't act around his own grandson like that.

Anyways, now that they are done, I hope you guys enjoy these two. Also, if you have the time, please leave a comment, review, follow and fave.

Whatever tickles your fancy, really.

The servant interactions is going to be in the next chapter, which I'm not exactly sure when it is going to be released because I have yet to work on it.

So, please, just wait patiently for it.

Now with that out of the way, have a nice day and stay healthy, guys! Peace out! :)


	5. Chapter 4 — Reminiscence

**Hello, everyone, and welcome to the fourth chapter of 'TPoM'!**

****I know I've said two or three chapters, but I've decided to merge them into one just for this site.****

**What you will be seeing in this chapter is a flashback, servants, and Hadrian himself.**

**I guess you can say that it's a bittersweet chapter. The bitterness comes first, then the sweet. You'll see...**

**As always, if you have the time, please leave a review, follow, and (or) fave this story.**

**More AN is at the bottom of this chapter, so I'll see you guys there! :D**

* * *

**Q & A**

* * *

**Chaos499: i already said this twice before but third times the charm so please give your mc a harem!**

A - Haha, I'll have think to about it first, buddy. Although, like I have stated before, the story is mostly concentrating on the MC's development, his relationships with other people, how he reacts to his surroundings, etc. Romance will have to come later. There may be hints of it, but it doesn't mean that it is set in stone.

...

**RoyalTwinFangs: Interesting chapter.**

A - Thank you, and so are you! :D

...

**Guest: Was kinda hoping to see some epic battles from the King of Lucis along with his charisma that even his servant can see that he is like that of a king despite being a human and not a heroic spirit. Speaking of which what would he be like if he were a Servant. Is his class going to be like that of Savior or Ruler?**

A - Battles will come later on. I'm afraid you'll just have to wait for it. Also, I think he's classified to be both, seeing as he did died for his kingdom and was a King of Lucis in his first life. So, I don't see why he wouldn't be able to meet the requirements for both.

...

**Jenson: So is Hadrian's dad dead? It seems to be the case when no victor was announced even though Arin was there. Meaning he must've saw Twice and Savior and probably tried to fight him while lettering Waver escape.**

** Be cool to see Hadrian make an actual appearance. Would love to see more of his life in Fate universe along with his perception on Magi and the history of Earth. Quick question is he seen as an abnormality by Gaia? I mean he's human but from like a different universe as he was reincarnated. That and the power he has in Final Fantasy XV is not something humans in Nasuverse have.**

A - Yes, he's dead, unfortunately. At first, I wanted him to be around Hadrian. But, I wanted to give the MC a purpose to join the Holy Grail War on the Moon. The MC had seen enough of wars. He's tired of it, but he also knew that it is something that will never go away for as long as humans are alive. Conflict is inevitable when it comes to humans. So, I've decided to make Arin be the purpose for the MC to join the Holy Grail War.

And don't worry, I'm not about to let the MC jump into another world without letting you guys see what his life is in the Fate universe. You'll be seeing more of his views of the Nasuverse in the next chapters in the future, including Gaia's views of him as well.

...

Hmm, I hope I didn't missed anyone. If there is, feel free to let me know! :D

* * *

"Words"

'_Thoughts_'

"**Spells**" or "**Abilities**"

***Sound Effects***

* * *

**Chapter 4 — Reminiscence**

* * *

...

Pain. Blood.

These two were the only things that he can think about.

The cuts, bruises, and broken bones that was done upon his feeble body. His blood was starting to appear under his prone form on the ground, slowly and steadily forming a small dark, red puddle.

Idly, he noted that his face and his hands felt a bit sticky, which was probably due to the blood that had stained some parts of his face and around his fingers.

'_How did turn out this way_...?' He thought, staring at nothing in particular, feeling hopeless.

...

...

***Clack*** ... ***Clack***

...

He heard the sounds of footsteps slowly make its presence known, coming towards his direction.

The sound was ominous and forbidding, causing his heart to beat painfully against his chest as the figure of death loomed near and grew steadily closer to him.

But, he didn't pay it any mind as thoughts of the events from earlier began to play.

...

...

His day had started out like any other.

Calm and peaceful. Mostly uneventful, as per usual. His homeroom teacher, Miss Taiga Fujimura was still the same, cheerful and quite clumsy. She hit her head on the podium again like yesterday, of which made nearly all students in the class laughed at her misfortune.

He was among the students that didn't laughed at her clumsiness. Rather, he felt concerned for her because he had seen her fell from the same action almost every time.

But, what he did not expect was for his life to be turned upside down in a span of a few hours.

When school had been done for the day, he left the classroom with the rest of his peers, also eager to return home, do his homework and procrastinate.

Then, just as he finished descending the stairs.

A flash of **orange** in the corner of his eye had caught his attention.

He saw that transfer student, walking in the direction where one of the hallways with a dead end was located. He followed the younger man and hid himself in the corner, silently observing.

It was **Leonardo B. Harway**, the new transfer student of Tsukumihara High School.

He saw him standing there in his peculiar orange uniform, standing in front of the wall that has a fire extinguisher in a boxed casing nearby.

The younger man stood out, with medium-length blonde hair and green eyes. He also wore white gloves and boots.

He was curious as to what Leonardo was doing, just standing there with one hand on his hip.

When two minutes had nearly passed, he was about to leave when Leonardo did something.

The wall, the one that he had first thought was uninteresting and nothing particularly special, moved in a way that was similar as to how a body of water would ripple when disturbed by an outside source.

The surface of the wall rippled, and Leonardo stepped into it as if there was a doorway to enter.

Shocked and surprised by what he had seen, he looked around and noticed that there was no one in the vicinity. All the noises that he heard were coming from outside, but none were nearby.

Disbelief and a dose of anxiety clouded his mind, he stood there, staring at the wall that he had seen Leonardo disappeared in.

After what he had witnessed, he found himself curious yet hesitant to make a decision.

He was curious to know what Leonardo got himself into, whatever he had done to make the door in to something like that, and what was on the other side of it.

But, at the same time, he had this feeling at the pit of his stomach that his life would change forever the moment he goes through that wall.

That it will never be the same.

Suddenly, a minor headache broke him out of his musings.

"Ngh...!" He grunted, raising a hand up to his forehead to ease the pain.

Lately, he was experiencing headaches these days and he found no reason as to why it was. Perhaps it may be related to something that happened to him in the past.

'_Wait_...' He asked himself, confused by the sudden thought. '_The_... _past_...?'

He then quickly tried to recall his memories of his past, but to his dismay and concern, nothing came to mind. He found himself worried, wondering if he has a case of amnesia.

All he knows was the basic information about himself, such as his name, birth date, age, and etc. But, nothing more than that comes to mind, which greatly concerned him.

Then, before he knew it, he found himself standing before the wall and staring at it.

'_Maybe_...' He thought, feeling hopeful yet nervous. '_Maybe I can find the answer here_...?'

No one can really answer his questions, and he was alone to find out for himself. While the life that he had experienced here was boring, he can't deny that it was quite peaceful.

'_But_...'

He closed his eyes and focused on the sounds of other people's laughter coming from outside of the school building.

The usual noises heard in school. The calm and peaceful atmosphere of the building.

As he thought about it, why does the feeling gave him the impression that **it was not real**?

What he experienced here. The peace, the bonds he made, and the people he met in this school. It does not feel like it was real to him. It was as if everything was simply a mirage, an illusion.

With only a few exceptions in this school, why does it feel like **everything was fake**?

And when he saw Leonardo did something to that wall, that was the first time he felt that something was real. It was as if his '**peaceful**' reality was stained by what he had witnessed earlier.

He opened his eyes slowly, feeling even more determined as time goes on.

"So... I want to know." He muttered, solemn but calm and determined. "I need to know more, and I can't do that if I just stay the same... even if I'm afraid."

With a hand in front of him, he closed his eyes as he forced his body to stepped forward, bracing himself for the pain in case his thoughts from what he saw earlier was just an illusion.

His eyes opened wide when he felt himself go through and, surprisingly, not splattering himself dead on the center of the wall like stupid.

The small hairs on his body stood up as he go through. He feels a sort of energy wash over his body as he stepped forward a couple of times.

The sensation was quite weird. It was akin as to how a person would run through into a large sticky, plastic wrap in a sharp, burst of movement.

Then, his world had quickly turned dark, causing him to blinked rapidly to adjust his eyesight to the darkness. After a few seconds, his sight was adjusted and he found that he was in a dark room that only has a few low-lights to brightened the area.

If he were to describe the room and what was in it, then his answer would be the basement.

The room looked like a basement, and the description of it only impounded in his head as he looks around and saw the things that would be typically found in such a room.

... except for those human-size effigies that were standing a few feet away from him.

He stared at the effigies, curious and wary at the same time.

In any other event, he would not even give them a glance nor a thought. But after witnessing a wall, one that he had thought uninteresting and normal, rippled and actually turned out be a doorway in disguise, he was not exactly sure what to believe in anymore.

Moreover, there were strange glowing lines that are around the effigies' bodies. It reminded him of a circuit line that were usually seen on motherboards and such.

Ignoring the strange-looking effigies for the moment, he walked cautiously into the room, turning to look left and right, making sure it was safe.

And just as he was beginning to relax, a deep male voice spoke, startling him in surprise as it echoed and bounced off the walls of the room.

"**Welcome, potential Master**." It said in a cold and almost mocking voice. "**Please take one Effigy, and prove your worth to enter this sacred tournament**."

He looked around the room and noticed that there was no one present, which made him wonder as to where the voice had came from. It sounded as if it was nearby, but no one except him was there.

When he turned around, he received two surprises in his life.

One, there was now a digitized portal that appeared near the effigies. And two, one of the effigies is now **moving** and standing in attention in front of him, which almost gave him a fright.

Doing his best to suppress a shout of fear and surprise, he swallowed the urge down and looked at the strange effigy warily, noticing that it was just standing there, as if waiting for orders.

Then, the deep male voice spoke again, as if to answer his unspoken question.

"**The Effigy in front of you will be your shield, weapon and the one that shall lead you to your true destiny. Use it to carve your way into this tournament, for it will only obey your commands**."

The voice paused for a few moments, and when it spoke again, it gave him the impression that the owner of the voice was smiling for some reason.

"**You may enter the portal door once you are ready**."

Unsure of what to do in this strange situation, he stared at the effigy for a moment, idly noting that the circuit-like lines around its body was glowing blue, and walked to the portal.

He also took notice that the effigy was following him closely from behind, as if guarding him from an enemy, which makes him feel secure and somewhat happy to have the effigy by his side, despite still being confused by the situation he had found himself in.

However, before he could step through, he heard the male voice spoke again.

The impression from before, that the owner of the voice may be smiling, grew stronger as he was left with these parting words that seemed oddly ominous.

"**Now**... **how shall a young lamb play with the wolves?**"

...

...

After he was given the Effigy, he was taught how to command it. The instructions that was given to him were simple: use the Effigy to fight in his stead and pass the trial.

And that was what led him to his current situation.

The first few battles had been simple and easy to finish, due to his previous opponents being weak and unsuspecting of his strategies. His Effigy followed his every order to the letter, and the two of them ventured the place that was called the '**Arena**'.

The '**Arena**' was strange looking. It was a vast area that appeared to be under the sea. The walls and the ground was transparent like see through glass. It gave him the impression of being inside a large aquarium, due to how spacious it was and how deep the bottom the 'sea' seems to be.

But when he reached the end of the Arena, something dangerous had been waiting for him.

What happened after was quite a blur, but he still remembered it quite clearly.

He didn't know what had happened, but when he blinked once, the Arena he had familiarize himself in for a while was now gone. Vanished into thin air, and it was replaced by a new area instead.

It had disconcerted him at first, but he didn't let the change of scenery stop him from moving on.

He and his Effigy had entered into a large chamber with beautiful patterned stones art decorated on the white marble ground. Close to the center, there were three circles with odd inscriptions.

Coming from above the center of the room, there was a bright light that was fixated in the middle of the chamber, as if it was acting like a spotlight for the main event.

Interestingly enough, due to how fixated the light was in the center, the far edges of the chamber is dark and dimly lit, to the point that he couldn't see pass the edge other than the shapes and figures of something that was placed there.

He couldn't quite put a finger on it, but it was familiar. He just can't see it clearly for what it is.

What caught his attention though, was the Effigy that was kneeling on the ground, head tilted down, unmoving like a marionette that lost its strings.

He stopped, staring at the Effigy with wary eyes.

If his previous foes had been easy for him to defeat, the Effigy kneeling in the center of the chamber must be the '**Boss**' of the Arena.

Meaning, that the Effigy was more powerful than the others that he defeated.

Nervous, he slowly walked to the center, feeling as if his every step was leading him to his doom.

And his instinct was right, the Effigy had been his doom.

He tried his best to command his Effigy efficiently, but the enemy was difficult to beat. Eventually, his own Effigy was torn apart, broken beyond repair and tossed to the far side of the chamber.

Without any means of protection, he did his best to survive the attacks, but his body was against him and he didn't last any longer than his Effigy did.

Hence, the reason for his current form, bloody and beaten to a pulp, nearly at death's door.

His injuries stung, persisting to gnaw at his consciousness like a vicious rabid animal as he tried his best to keep his body from shutting down.

The Effigy, who was the main cause of his injuries, was standing a few feet away from him, unmoving and unsympathetic to his prone and bleeding form on the cold, marbled floor.

He can even feel the temperature of his body turning cold as each moment passed by. His vision was blurred, but he finally noticed the peculiar shapes around at the edges of the chamber.

His eyes slowly widened as horror began to seep into his mind.

**They were bodies. A lot of them.**

People of various ages, but most were at his age range and dressed in a similar school attire as him. They too were on the floor. But, unlike him, they remained completely motionless.

Looking into their eyes, he could see that there was no signs of life in them, an easy deduction that they are dead. The stains of blood on their clothing and coming from bodies were telling enough.

The fact that he noticed them lying on the floor near where he was indicates that they too had fallen victim to the deadly Effigy in front of him.

He had tried his best, but the Effigy was too strong, too powerful for him to defeat on his own.

And so he fell, defeated like the rest of them.

He had collapsed near to the three circles with strange symbols drawn within.

Blankly, he watched as small amounts of his blood trickle its way in the deep carvings on the ground, filling the gaps with his blood.

As if to mock his abysmal fight earlier and then his defeat, he heard a deep male voice echoing throughout the chamber, ringing loudly in his ears.

"**Hmm, and here I thought that you would be different. I suppose you are just as the same as the others, whose fate is to end here**."

Hearing these damning words, he could not help but curl up slightly in hopelessness and despair.

It would be all too simple, too easy for him to just let go. To not cling to life anymore and let death embrace him. To take away the pain and fear he felt at his current situation.

...

...

... **But**...

_'I can't give up here_...' He thought to himself, trying not to cry out from the pain invading his body. '_Not here. Not when I have gotten this far_...'

The pain would go away though, and he will no longer feel the terrifying emotion called '**fear**' ever again. Maybe death would not be so bad compared to the situation now.

...

...

'_**No**_...' He thought angrily, cyan eyes brightened with life once more. Despair and hopelessness no longer present in them. '_I can't_... _let it end like this!_'

He turned his attention to the Effigy, who was slowly moving in his direction in steadily and eerily, similar to an executioner to its escaped prisoner.

So busy was he in his thoughts, he did not notice the circle in the center suddenly began to glow with power, flickering on and off like a light behind him without his awareness.

He closed his eyes, taking deep breaths to calm his pounding heart.

...

...

'_I want_... _I want to live_.'

At the realization of his own thought, his eyes opened in surprise at the severity of his emotions.

The desire to live, to survive this dangerous encounter, began to strengthen his conviction more, and that is to survive this terrifying event no matter what.

...

...

"I..." He began, gritting his teeth as he fought the pain and fear.

"I want to live... **AND YOU ARE NOT GOING TO GET IN THE WAY OF THAT!**"

His words began with a growl and ended in a shout as a variety of emotions flowed from the tone of his voice.

But, he shouted out the words anyway, to declare his utmost desire to remain amongst the living, uncaring of the fact that the Effigy was getting closer to him.

He was still scared. Scared of the enemy, of the pain, and of death. But, he also knew that by doing nothing would also invite death anyways.

Therefore, he thought it best to try his chances and simply find a way to survive the situation. To try everything he can to live, to fight and survive this dangerous battle.

'_Yeah, it's not over yet as long as I'm alive_...' He thought, determined and resolute in his decision.

With a venomous glare at the enemy, he diligently ignored his body's strong protest to not make any movements as he looked around the area.

He was trying to find if there was a weapon nearby that can help at least keep that damned Effigy at bay to buy some time, but no such luck.

Just as he was about to crawl away from his current position, he suddenly noticed dual colors of a white and blue light glowing brightly near him.

Turning his gaze around, he saw that the circle in the middle was the source of the bright light.

The strange symbols were glowing with power, humming in a unique energy that felt oddly familiar to him. It gave him a sense of deja-vu, as if he had felt such a sensation before.

Strangely enough, he could put a finger on where or when he had felt exactly.

...

...

... ***Thud*** ...

An ominous sound made itself known behind him, interrupting his idle musings.

The tiny hairs behind his neck stood up as a shadow of a familiar figure towered over his prone form, causing his breath to hitch as dread took over his heart.

He looked over his shoulder, slowly, gazing upwards as dread rise in his heart.

He saw that the Effigy was now upon him with one of its arms raised up above its head, preparing to strike in for the kill.

But before despair could take over him, the light behind him suddenly glowed brighter.

Crackles of unknown energy was heard around the chamber. A storm of energy spread throughout the room and made its entrance like a large explosion.

Time seemed to have stop as he watched the featureless face of the Effigy became illuminated by the bright light. The arm that was raised made its descent in a slow motion.

He squeezed his eyes tight and raised his arms to protect himself from the blow, bracing himself for the pain of death with a grimace.

**Then**...

... ***BANG*** ...

A very loud sound was heard from behind.

Bright cyan eyes suddenly opened in surprise and shock, just in time to see the Effigy get thrown to the other side of the chamber like a ragdoll.

He blinked, trying to understand what just occurred in front of him a moment earlier.

'_Wh-what the hell just happened_...?'

He had seen the Effigy's arm descending on him. He saw it get closer, but there was something that got in the way. There was something that stopped its attack.

... ***Clink*** ... ***Clink*** ... ***Clink*** ...

He flinched.

There was a sound of metal clashing lightly against the floor (the footsteps of someone wearing metal footwear, it seems), cutting him out of his musings.

Then, the said footsteps soon slowly came to a stop.

... which seemed to be directly **behind** him.

'_Haha_... _Fuck my life_...' He cursed, not knowing whether to laugh or cry tears of blood at his pitiful situation.

He might have to choose the latter, considering as he was already bleeding a lot anyway.

Mechanically, he turned around carefully, and saw... silver metal and blue cloth(?).

Confused, he turned his gaze upwards.

Then, in that moment, he saw a vision that he would remember for the rest of his life.

Blonde hair tied into a bun, glistening under the light from above. Bright green eyes that reminded him of emeralds. Long blonde lashes. A heart-shaped face. Pale white skin.

The figure was of small stature, covered in armor that was both elegant yet simplistic in appearance.

She has a beautiful countenance that can easily be mistaken as androgynous, but the lack of Adam's apple implies that the being in front of him is a female.

The air of elegance around her and the light from above gave her an ethereal appearance.

...

...

**"Are you my master?"**

...

* * *

...

Bright cyan eyes with long lashes slowly opened, he blinked and breathed out deeply through his nose as he tried to clear his mind from his sleep.

Sleepily, he noticed that there was someone calling out to him from his left, causing him to turn his blurred gaze over in that direction to see who it was.

The figure was familiar. The voice, even more so. He knows this person.

"Master?" A deep male voice said, rendering more him awake than before. "Master, please wake up."

The voice was different from the one that he heard from his dreams. Unlike the one from before, this voice was calm, relaxed and collected. Also, it was the voice of someone who was close to him.

Suppressing the urge to yawn out loud, **Hadrian Mathius von Schweinorg** stretched lightly from his seated position on the chair, shaking the tiredness out of his body.

With a sigh, Hadrian rubbed the back of his neck with his right hand as he leaned off of the window sill that was present next to his seat.

He just noticed that he had leaning against the window sill with his right hand supporting his head as he slept earlier.

Perhaps, that was why his neck felt a bit stiff, due to his strange position while he was asleep.

Also, he noticed that he was actually inside an aircraft vehicle. The luxurious interior and spacious room indicates that it was a private plane.

'_Ah yes, the jet plane_...' Hadrian mused, recalling the memories of boarding the vehicle. '_How can I forget? We got in hours ago, and on our way to North America now. Then, I took a nap_.'

Turning to the left, he then saw the person who had awoken him from his short rest.

It was a young man with black and white hair that framed the sides of his comely face, pale skin, and blue eyes. With the height of 5"9, he has a lean and well-built physique that indicates of his healthy condition and fitful form that was suited in combat.

He was attired in a black formal suit that consists of a black blazer with the lapels of the jacket in white, a white long-sleeve dress shirt with a velvet blue tie that was placed neatly around his neck, black pants and formal shoes made in black, glossy leather.

It was **Charles**, one of his Servants/bodyguards and, more importantly, one of his loyal friends.

With a quick look around him, he also saw his other retainers seated in their respective seats, but turned their heads to him when they felt his gaze upon them.

In return, he received various looks from each of them; some smiled at him, some of them waved to him (one did it in a cheerful way), and some looked at him in concern.

He sent them all a single wave of his hand and a somewhat tired smile, silently reassuring them that he was fine and no need to be concerned about him.

Once they all returned to their own respective businesses, Hadrian looked at Charles in curiosity, eyebrows slightly raised as if to ask him why he was woken up.

Charles smiled, then gestured towards the small window beside him.

"Look, Master, we've arrived."

Leaning closer, Hadrian looked out the window in curiosity and saw the visual of their destination was in sight, which was one of the international airports of Vancouver Island, Canada.

"Well..." He began, expression calm and unreadable as he watched (and feel) the private plane began to circle and prepare for landing. "We're here now."

Used to his liege's seemingly nonchalant behavior, Charles continued to smile and leaned back in his seat, which was a stark contrast to the expressionless facade that Hadrian had adopted.

"Yup." He chirped, taking his liege by surprise for a moment.

Looking at his happy-go-lucky retainer, Hadrian gave him a strange look, as if not knowing what to make of him, especially of what was about to happen in the coming days during their stay here.

Exhaling through his nose, the young heir to the Schweinorg house simply dropped the matter as he too leaned back into his seat.

Even though they had only spent several months around each other, Hadrian knew of his friend's personality the most.

Therefore, he was quite used to him being happy all the time, and was already desensitize to things that were his friend's habits by now. He would not even blink if Charles allowed a certain someone to run around naked in the plane, regardless of who were in the room.

Just as he was about to meditate and ignore his ever exuberant companion, Charles interrupted him with a question.

"By the way, my lord..." He began, continuing after he was sure that Hadrian was facing him. "What were you dreaming about?"

With one brow raised, Hadrian answered the question with another of his own.

"What makes you think I was dreaming something?" He asked in retort, lacking any heat in his tone.

Unexpectedly, Charles seemed to be prepared for it as he began his usual trend of eccentricity.

"Well, you twitched in your sleep. You made some sounds once in a while too."

He looked to the roof of the plane as if in thought, one finger tapping against his beardless chin before turning back to his liege, who was looking at him with a twitching eyebrow.

Hadrian remained calm and expressionless. But, the twitch of his eyebrow was a dead give away of what he was actually feeling inside for he knew what was about to come.

Charles actually had the gall to smile at him as he began making weird gestures that he 'saw' his liege had made during in his sleep.

"Then, you were doing this..."

'_And here comes the teasing_...' Hadrian grunted in his mind.

Charles's comely face distorted uglily, making him look quite silly. It reminded him of those famous memes Hadrian had been seeing around the internet.

The cyan eyed Magus, on the other hand, was not so impressed.

Hadrian wondered how many women (that saw and likes Charles) would cry out in injustice to the world for distorting his face in such a manner, and so carelessly at that.

His friend has got quite the comely face, and he literally saw quite a number of women blush like school maidens in his very presence.

'_Sad thing is, I bet he doesn't even care_.' Hadrian mused with a sigh, feeling a bit sorry for those women who liked his doofus of a friend plus Servant.

He zoned out of his musings, just in time to hear for the retainer to continue his fanciful tale and let his face return to normal, much to his quiet relief.

"... in your sleep. So, what were you dreaming about?" Charles finished, smiling and looking quite pleased with himself for some reason.

Too bad for him, Hadrian was feeling the opposite as he punished the cheeky retainer by pulling on his cheek, hard, and making sure that it was painful.

Lightly activating a few of his magic circuits helped in doing the trick too.

As expected, Charles reacted the Hadrian wanted him to, by crying out in pain and with tears nearly leaking out of his eyes.

"Orwh, Oooorwh, dyat wurt! Wuad I doh!" He whined, tapping on his liege's wrist in surrender.

Charles may be someone with great power, but against his liege, he was defeated.

"Now..." Hadrian began, 'smiling' in a not so pleasant way. "I would expect this sort of behavior from a certain somebody, but not from you. Remember, the place of where we are about to venture into is not a playground. So, **quit the shenanigans**."

After a whole minute, Hadrian had finally relented and let go.

Charles quickly held the cheek that was pulled harshly, massaging it to relieve the pain.

"Uwah, that wasn't cool, master!" Charles protested weakly.

"**Silence**." was the only thing that he got in response, but it was enough to make him submit.

"Yeesh..." He groaned, defeated and thoroughly scolded by his lord.

Sighing, Hadrian leaned back against his seat with a small frown.

"You guys have been hanging around my grandfather a bit too much, I swear. Don't think I haven't noticed. I might be busy most of the time, but I'm not unaware of what you guys do."

Hadrian leveled a stern eye upon the black and white haired servant, making sure that Charles was cowed by it before turning his gaze to the window.

If Charles had been born a dog, he would be whimpering in fear with his ears flat and tail tucked between his legs.

Anyone can say what they will, but his liege can be quite terrifying if he wants to be.

Hearing the round of chuckles and giggles flittering in every part of the room, Charles knew that his fellow servants saw the spectacle as well.

Turning around with a glare on his face, Charles met the eyes of every single one of his fellow allies (which are mostly in the male group, fortunately), mouthing a 'I'll get back at you guys later' to them after making sure that Hadrian was not looking.

In return, they merely gave out their own unique response and gestures, which either comes with a smile, a 'come hither' motion or a jaunty wave.

After a silent promise of retribution on them later, Charles leaned back in his seat with a sigh.

He glanced at Hadrian from time to time, looking like a kicked puppy.

His liege though, was lost in his own thoughts as he watched the clouds with a deep, thoughtful expression on his face, oblivious to his glances.

Charles pouted, feeling a bit drained and depressed.

Yesterday, Hadrian had been called into Lord Zelretch's private study, and it was there that he was requested to take on a small assignment at his grandfather's behest.

The assignment was to confirm about a peculiar information that the old Magician had heard from one of his sources. When he heard about it, he was not sure of its authenticity, but his suspicions is roused nonetheless. That's why, he had sent Hadrian to investigate the matter in person.

And so, here they are, about to land the soils of Vancouver, Canada, and spend a week to investigate a case that was personally handed to his liege.

Charles was just trying to make his liege relax and ease up from his much too serious behavior, but he got punished and scolded instead.

What sucked even more for him was that his fellow servants saw that embarrassing scene of Hadrian scolding him and then a punishment soon after.

_'I'll get back at them later. Just you wait, guys_...' He promised, planning his revenge.

His depressed state did not last long than a few minutes as Charles remembered his question had went unanswered earlier.

"Ah, that's right, Master. You didn't tell me what you were dreaming before." Charles said with a look of curiosity on his comely face.

Hadrian gazed at him with a hint of bemusement on his calm facade.

"Are you that curious to know?" His liege asked, one brow raised.

Emboldened by the chance to make the young master relax even for a little, Charles nodded his head in agreement.

"Well, yeah!" The cheeky retainer said with a smile.

Hadrian chuckled at his antics, causing Charles to cheer in his mind at the success.

His liege was smiling now, making him appear a lot more younger, carefree and unburdened.

When Hadrian takes on a serious facade, it often made him looked mature and elegant than what his age implies, but also difficult and nearly cold to easily approach for most people.

Charles himself doesn't know the reason why, but when a close friend of Hadrian explained it to him, the cheeky retainer finally understood.

People, both the ones in the moonlit world and the normal humans, were intimidated by Hadrian.

It was not just because of his background, his appearance, and among other things, but something else instead.

It was something that can't be explained with mere words, but if there was one for him to describe it, then it might be related to the strange aura that his liege naturally gives off.

The strange aura was familiar. Charles had some experience with it before, but the one that Hadrian exudes with such ease was magnitudes stronger than what he was used to.

In other words, whatever it was that his master possess was just on a whole different level.

One such example of it, was at the airport before they had left England.

Hadrian had been walking by the front of their entourage, leading the way as they all followed him through the busy airport of Heathrow, London.

There were throngs of people walking about in every direction, but when his master had started to walk forward, the wall of people suddenly **parted** into two, making way for him.

It was like watching how that person used his staff to part the Red Sea to create a safe passage for his people, as Charles had seen in one of those movies.

'_It was cool_.' Charles thought with a fond smile. '_I think some people call it '**Charisma**'_.'

t even made the servant wished that he can be as cool as his liege after seeing it.

In Hadrian's case though, he simply made his way through the busy airport with suave as if he owns the place, ignorant to the looks of awe and surprise that he received from the masses nearby.

It was very amusing to watch for Charles and his fellow servants.

What was even funnier was that his liege doesn't seemed to be aware of the natural effect that he has on people, seeing as he looked confused whenever they asked him about it.

Recalling the image in mind, Charles let out a brief laugh, causing Hadrian to face him.

"What's funny?" His liege asked, bemused.

"Ehh... you." Charles grinned, his good mood from before making a comeback.

"Oh? **Elaborate**, please." Hadrian encouraged, bright cyan eyes slowly narrowing with expectation.

Seeing the eyes of his liege narrowed in suspicion, Charles suddenly felt nervous. He could even feel some of his sweat making its way down at the side of his temple.

'_Uuuhh... gotta be careful here_.' The cheeky servant thought with wariness.

Some might call him a coward when it comes to his liege, but in Charles's opinion, those people can say what they want.

His master was not a joke when it comes to a fight, and his glares were something to behold and one that can be (justifiably) afraid of, especially if they know what his eyes can do.

Although afraid that another punishment might come in his way (again), Charles pushed passed it and went on a brief explanation, trying his best to maintain a smile despite his initial fears.

He's quite known to be frank with his words, after all, and Charles was not one to back down from anything.

Perhaps that's why his liege managed to summon him forth, cause they had something in common.

The unique courage and determination to persevere, no matter what comes their way.

"Ah, do you remember what happened at the airport?" Charles began with a simple question, swallowing his fears. "Before we left London?"

"Hn." Hadrian grunted in response.

"The looks on those people's faces!" Charles laughed. "It was really funny!"

Bemused by his sudden amusement, Hadrian was about to speak when someone suddenly hugged him from behind the seat, taking him and Charles by surprise as the Master and Servant duo both craned their necks to see who it was.

It was a young man with long pink hair and dark purple eyes. He has beautiful androgynous features that would make people easily mistook him for a female.

In addition to his beauty, he has a fair number of hair ornaments that most females would be seen to wear often. He was 164cm tall, has a pale white skin and a lean physique.

Like all of his servants, he was dressed in an all-black suit, but his own came with a customization, such as his pink tie, black shorts, and white boots with black knee-length socks.

The young man(?) in question was **Astolfo**, one of his loyal servants and a friend as well.

"Yeah, Master!" Astolfo grinned widely, hugging him from behind the seat. "Let's record it next time if that happens again. That was fun!"

"Astolfo, don't sneak up on us like that." Charles scolded him. "And don't hug Master too much. Give him some room to breathe. I think you're choking him."

Astolfo blinked, pausing before he looked down to check on their liege.

Sure enough, Hadrian was having a difficult time breathing and looking a bit faint.

"Ahahaha, sorry, master!" The pink haired Servant laughed, loosening his hold on Hadrian, but he did not let go. "Guess I don't know my own strength sometimes."

'_What do you mean 'sometimes'...?_' The other two thought in unison, skeptical.

"It's fine." Hadrian said with a sigh, resigned to his own fate.

The pink-haired servant was someone even more exuberant and happy-go-lucky than Charles could ever become. He had almost a year to get used to their personalities and eccentricities.

As such, Hadrian was not exactly surprised by the action. He was just resigned to it.

He supposed being around a highly eccentric grandfather can also be deemed as an experience in these type of situations.

As the two fellow retainers spoke over him (with Charles continuing to scold Astolfo and the latter defending himself), Hadrian noticed a mobile phone in one of Astolfo's hands.

Curious, Hadrian stared at the screen and noticed that it was currently playing a game. There was one thing that stood out the most to him about it though, other than being familiar with it.

"Ah." Hadrian said in surprise, watching the gameplay.

"Hm?"

Hearing the sound, the two retainers paused their argument and turned to him. Then, they also saw what was happening in the screen, and one of them was not happy.

Astolfo gasped, looking horrified as he (finally) let go of Hadrian and raised the device up to his face.

"**MY FAAAAARM!?**" The pink-haired Servant shouted in despair and shock.

Hearing bouts of laughter nearby, Astolfo quickly turned around and saw a familiar group of men were (obviously) laughing at his expense and reaction.

Infuriated, he stomped towards where they are huddled together, mobile device in hand and dark purple eyes glistening with tears.

Hadrian and Charles watched him go and disappear to the other side of the plane.

"Well, there he goes..." Hadrian commented, watching the scene with a small smile.

"Indeed..." Charles muttered under his breath, face palming.

On the other side...

"You guys are gonna pay for that!" Astolfo shouted angrily. "I just vanished for a minute, then you guys steal and wreck my farm!? I worked hard on raising those chickens!"

"Well, you should have been paying attention!" The first retorted.

"All is fair in war and **Farma Villa**!" The second one cheerfully said, unrepentant.

"Who said anything about allies in the game?" The last one said with a grin, equally unapologetic.

"Argh! Shuddap, ya three!" Astolfo shouted in annoyance. "If that's how its going to be, I'll vandalize all your farms then. This is **WAR**!"

"Bring it!" The three said in unison with matching grins, enthused by the declaration.

Seeing the four looked invested in the game, particularly Astolfo, Charles and Hadrian turned back to their seats and sighed at the same time, used to the group's behavior.

Charles faced his liege, who looked to be falling asleep again after seeing the usual peanut gallery.

"You know, Master, you still haven't answered me." Charles reminded him gently.

"Well... I was just dreaming about something that happened in the past." Hadrian said slowly.

"Hmm..." Charles hummed in thought, then he asked with a smile. "Is it a good one?"

Hadrian let a soft smile appear on his lips.

"Yes, and quite a beautiful one at that."

Charles looked satisfied with his answer, smiling.

The cyan eyed Master was left alone as his cheeky yet caring servant left his seat, excusing himself to get something to drink before the plane lands in an hour.

Hadrian nodded and waved him away with a faint smile.

However, his gaze slowly turned to the left and they met a pair of bright emerald colored eyes in turn, whose owner looked curious and surprised by the sudden meeting of their gazes.

Once he held that person's attention, Hadrian gave her a soft, genuine smile that caused the owner of the green eyes to blush, as he would have expected her to be.

Feeling accomplished, Hadrian chuckled and gave Arturia Pendragon a wink before he returned his gaze to the window, just in time as Charles returned with a bottle of water in hand.

Hadrian knew full well that he is going to get scolded by her once they arrive at the hotel that they made reservations in, but he feels that any time that he spends with her would make it all worth the light punishment that he would, no doubt, get from her later on.

'_Hmm... maybe I've been infected by grandpa's mischievousness too_.'

Although worrisome, the thought made Hadrian smile throughout the day.

...

* * *

**Author's Note**

* * *

...

Goodness me... This author has done it again... (T_T)

Well, my teacher had always often encouraged me to write 5k words per day. I suppose this is the result of that training.

Fortunately, I'm getting used to the routine, even though my hands feels kind of numb right now.

This chapter has reached passed 5k though. I think it's about 7k or more. Scary how the mind can wander and the body just responds like that. (O_O;)

As it was often requested, servant interactions has now appeared. I hope you guys are liking it so far! We've come a long way! :D

By the way, have you guys noticed how his personality became different from the first part and then to the second?

The reason for that is because of how his case was similar to the MC's of Fate/Extra.

So, no, he's not bipolar. Or suffering from a rare case of split personality.

And as for Charles, he's the one who often teases his Master at the wrong time. Hence, he's walking on eggshells in this chapter. XD

Oh, and if you guys are interested, I just finished editing chapter one, along with this one. There's a new content there now.

I hope you guys enjoyed this one and the new chapter one that I just updated! :D

Anyways, please leave a review, follow and (or) fave the story.

Next chapter would have to be delayed for a little while, due to real life issues (again).

So, please exercise great patience. I'll update you guys once it's ready. Now, I'm off to sleep, cause I spent hours on editing the crap out of this chapter.

I'm also thankful for all the follows, faves, and reviews. Please continue to look after this story now and in the future.

I look forward to hearing from you, guys! Stay safe and healthy now!

I bid you guys adieu! :D

(PS - If you guys are wondering what the MC looks like, he's on the cover of this story. That's him. Just letting you guys know.)


	6. Chapter 5 — Morning Blues

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Hello, dear readers and welcome to Chapter 5 of '**TPoM**'! :)

Okay, so listen up!

What you are about to read in the first part is, once again, a flashback. But, this one has happened recently to the MC.

It's quite an exciting one to read, because I think some of you have been looking forward to this scene a lot.

So, here it is and enjoy the 12k words of a chapter. As per usual, more AN is below, so I'll see you guys there.

Also, please follow, fave and (or) leave a review of what you think of this chapter if you have the time!

**(PS - Q & A is at the very bottom of the page. So, to those that left reviews in the previous chapter, please go there to see your answers, except for the ones that had already been answered via the PM.)**

...

* * *

"Words"

'_Thoughts_'

"**Spells**" or "**Abilities**"

***Sound Effects***

* * *

**Chapter 5 — Morning Blues**

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...

_Deep within the far side of the lunar realm, there was a vast, empty platform with white marble flooring and numerous columns scattered around._

_Within the center of the platform, there are two people currently locked in a battle._

_On one side, there is a young man with short blonde hair and bright cyan eyes that are narrowed in concentration._

_His long blonde lashes and his almond-shaped eyes that are narrowed in focus made his gaze appear intense and smoldering. He has a stunning face, with naught a hint of imperfections and so perfectly symmetrical that one can be captivated by merely gazing upon him._

_He has a pale white skin that appears too soft to touch (similar to a newborn's), a lean and muscular physique that was fit for combat, and stands at the height of 5'5._

_He was attired in a white dress shirt with white gold cuff links and long-sleeves that was rolled up to his elbows, a velvet blue tie, a black vest with gold vein-like patterns and a thin gold chain that extends from the front and to the right pocket, black pants, and dress shoes with no laces and thin straps with silver buckles._

_Hanging loosely upon his shoulders is a black capelet that extends pass his waist. It has a few gold ornaments on the shoulders, and stylish lines drawn in molten gold on the front and back._

_On the helix of his left ear was a silver earring with detailed carvings and a small diamond, but it remains out of sight as some strands of his hair keeps it hidden._

_His hands was covered by a pair of black fingerless gloves, while adorning some of his fingers are four rings of different features: two are silver rings with similar inscriptions worn in the middle fingers on both hands, one was a black and gold ring with a crystal diamond in the center worn in his left index finger, and the last was a silver elegant ring with a small diamond worn in his right index finger._

_In his left hand was a silver metallic construct that bears the shape of a gun. But, instead of one hole to fire a bullet, it has three needle-size holes at the end of its barrel._

_While on the other side, there is a tall and dignified-looking young man who is older and mature-looking than the first._

_He can be said to be the polar opposite of the other. While the latter was gorgeous, the other man can be described as handsome._

_He has blonde hair that was similar to the color of polished gold, and a pair of crimson eyes (red like blood) with sharp, vertical irises that are visibly not those of a human and gives off a mysterious radiance that can make people wither._

_He has a pale skin tone that was a bit tanned due to exposure to the sun, and has a perfect, golden proportioned body emanating majesty. He stands at the height of 6"1, and wears a gold plated armor that only covers his lower body. His upper body was on display, and red tattoos are shown across his torso and arms. Around his neck was a gold necklace and a pair of gold earrings hung on both of his ears._

_The two of them had been locked into a constant conflict for several hours now. _

_It was a good thing that time doesn't seem to affect the world they are in, as it does on Earth to a great extent._

_Otherwise, the younger man's companions would have been concerned about his current whereabouts._

_And that is something that he would prefer not to happen._

_Feeling that the end of their battle is coming to a close, they both prepared themselves for the finale._

_The older of the two was smirking, staring at the younger man with amusement and expectation in his crimson eyes._

_Seeing this, he felt a bit annoyed before he set his face into a calm and focus expression._

_He clicked his tongue, then raised one hand and brushed his hair back, sweeping it back to get it out of his face_

_Some strands of his hair still fell, but at least his vision has improved, and now he can focus on the task at hand._

_With a plan in mind, he bend his knees a bit before he **moved**, leaving a blue afterimage of his form at his wake._

_A second longer in that spot, he would have been impaled by the golden chains with ten spear-like protrusions that came out of the golden portals in every directions._

_As he teleported away, more golden portals followed him as he goes further to the left of his enemy._

_Explosions of various sizes began to fill the once quiet area as all kinds of weapons (ranging from spears, swords, and etc.) with great magical energy started to shoot out of the many golden portals that kept appearing in every direction at high speeds._

_They followed their target as if on auto-lock while he teleported away to safety from each attack, including the chains with the sharp blades that still did not gave up on chasing after him._

_If anything, he has a sneaky suspicion that the chains is sentient, as it only began to chase after him with more fervor and haste as the time goes by._

_Dare he say it, he suspected that it might even be enjoying their game of 'cat and mouse'… like its owner._

_Speaking of which, his enemy only seems more amused as he observed him disappear and reappear in different locations nearby, avoiding his assaults neatly with his magical ability._

_If he was someone without the teleport ability, he would (probably) had been dead and skewered thousands of times by the amount of magical weapons that are coming at his way._

_His foe was truly worthy of his title._

_'Hmm… no kidding.' The younger man thought wryly. 'As expected of someone who had collected all of mankind's treasures. His weapons seems endless.'_

_While keeping an eye on the golden chains with deadly blades, he glanced at the crimson eyed man from time to time._

_Once he noticed his enemy had begun to move to a certain spot, most likely to follow him so that he can set his next attacks at a better angle, it was time for him to put his own plan into motion._

_'Now's my chance…' He thought, focused and determined._

_After dodging three weapons that flew out of the portals, he suddenly stopped, then turned and watched as another set of golden portals appear several feet above him._

_The chains with sharp blades came out and begun their fast descent towards him at high speeds, bundling into one to further increase its down force._

_The crimson eyed man smirked triumphantly, feeling that victory was already in his hands._

_But, it was quickly wiped off by the next scene that he witnessed._

_The younger man raised the hand that held the silver gun-shaped construct and pointed it to the incoming chains._

_He smiled, and then pulled the trigger._

**_*Whoosh*_**

_Just as the blades on the front of the chains came near him, a magical aura of blue light covered the chains in a span of milliseconds before they suddenly vanish into a mix of white, gold and blue particles of light. The chains was not the only one to disappear, even the golden portals were not spared from the unnatural act of magical phenomenon._

_In the older man's point of view, his treasured chains and the golden portals that he summoned there just vanished into nothingness, as if it was insignificant._

_That angered him, quite so._

_"You…!" The older blonde muttered, feeling his blood boil by the sight._

_Crimson eyes narrowed as he began to get serious._

_His honed instincts spiked to dangerous levels, while his mind advised him to careful._

_As far as his battle experience was telling him, his fun had come to an abrupt end the moment the younger man showed him one of his hidden cards._

_He had checked his treasury for one of his greatest treasures, and found that the chains had decreased in length._

_Fortunately, his treasured chains are still there, but he fears that if he used them again, it might only meet the same fate as before._

_This had never happened to him before, not even in the past._

_For the first time, he found someone that might possibly be the very nemesis to his own ability._

_'To think that that brat would have a dangerous trump card and hid it until now. How bothersome...' The crimson eyed man thought, frowning. _

_As he thought about using the other great treasure within his treasury, only second to his divine chains, he was interrupted as the younger man began his counter assault._

_As if by karma, the older blonde found himself surrounded with transparent weapons of all kinds, with the sharp ends of the blades pointed at his body._

_The weapons looked ethereal. Beautiful and clear. All of which are glowing with a heavenly white and blue aura as crystal particles hang around them. Similar to the ones in his treasury, the crystalize weapons that surrounded him (via telekinesis) also appears to glow with great powers of their own._

_By the intricate designs and their signs of their powers, the crimson eyed man found that they seem more suited in the hands of a ruler instead of a brat, who is now his foe._

_It took him by surprise for a moment, but his experience as a warrior allowed him to adjust to the unexpected situation calmly._

_The brat was quite cunning and opportunistic. He had to give him that._

_He did not think that the brat would have such trump cards hidden, and actually be patient and resourceful enough to hide it until it was time to use them._

_Before, the brat had been fighting him using only Magecraft. It was an impressive array of spells, but it was still Magecraft nonetheless._

_Impressive, but parlor tricks in his opinion._

_Although, the brat has the mind and cunningness to make proper use of his spells in strategic ways and in the right moments._

_The brat nearly caught him in several traps earlier, and it was only thanks to his battle experience that he was able to avoid them all._

_One by one, the crimson eyed man was assaulted in all directions. Sometimes, even two at the same time._

_He was not given the time to even think as he tried to avoid the phantom weapons with his own from the treasury._

_Left, right, above and in all ways. Via telekinesis, the phantom weapons attacked him from all sides, targeting his blind spots especially._

_The force behind each attack was making him use more of his strength to maintain his own defense, and it often made him grit his teeth in irritation when it happened._

_He thought about using the divine chains to improve his defense further, but when he noticed that some of his weapons from the treasury had vanished after it came into contact with one of the brat's phantom weapons, the crimson eyed man knew that he cannot take the risk._

_No mere Magecraft can make a portion of his divine weapon vanish from existence, no matter how impressive it is, which can only mean one thing._

_The brat empowers his spells with the magical energy of a True Magic, which makes all of his spells closer to that of a True Magic based on firepower and mystery._

_'That brat…' The man snarled, displeased at his predicament. 'Truly a troublesome one…'_

_The same scene went on for a while, the crystal weapons of unknown origin attacking and with him defending himself from the endless onslaught._

_He was given no respite, and it eventually became the cause for his defeat._

_It was a small gap, but it was during the time of when he was deflecting five phantom weapons, that the brat began his next move._

_Even though he was busy defending himself from the non-stop assault, his instincts were still helpful as it warned him of something dangerous approaching._

_Blood red eyes widened as he felt the sense of death looming over him, making him turn in the direction where he felt it from._

_In a span of seconds, he summoned another portal and pulled out a weapon with his left hand, then raised it in front of him in defense._

_Had he not been quick enough, he would have a sword get lodge deep into his midsection._

_As he had suspected, the flashes of white, blue and gold sparks was the telltale signs of his enemy's sudden arrival._

_He blocked the young man's sneak attack just in time the moment he turned around and held the sword in front of him._

_A dual colored sword of white and gold, made of otherworldly energy, met a sword of peculiar structure with red circuit lines that runs along its cylindrical surface._

_Sparks flew between them as they locked blades._

_But, it was slowly and steadily coming into the younger man's favor._

_The older blonde noticed this and wondered, frowning in confusion._

_When he looked up, that was when he saw the younger man's peculiar eyes._

_They were glowing with a vibrant blue light and the irises are dyed red like blood._

_In addition, the crimson eyed man started to hear cracking noises against the surface of his own blade, and he found that his body seemed to be getting heavier._

_A quick look down, he saw a magic circle beneath his feet, and he was right in the dead center of it._

_Realization immediately dawned on him, and he cannot help but laugh._

_Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes, smirked._

_"You… you really are one troublesome brat."_

...

* * *

[... **Vancouver, Canada - Morning** ...]

* * *

...

Vibrant cyan eyes slowly opened, a dazed expression on his face as Hadrian stared up the dark ceiling of his private quarters.

He blinked, feeling the cobwebs of sleep fade away from his mind.

'_What… what was that?_'

He closed his eyes as he put a hand over them.

'_Why am I dreaming about that now of all times? Wait_… _is this what they call being haunted?_'

With no answer coming to mind, Hadrian let out a quiet sigh.

"Fou…"

A strange but familiar sound was heard near his ear.

Then, Hadrian felt something furry and fluffy softly brush against his skin, tickling him a little.

Opening his eyes, he put his hand away and turned his head a bit to the left.

He saw a small creature with the size and a slight resemblance to a squirrel's, but with ears as long as a rabbit's. It has a pure white fur, a large fluffy tail and a pair of purple orbs for eyes. Over its shoulders is a white and blue capelet with a purple ribbon to hold it in place.

This was Fou, also known as Cath Palug. One of his familiars.

A few months back after the Holy Grail War ended, his wish was granted by the Moon Cell and the balance of the world was restored into its natural and healthy state.

It took quite a while for his wish to take effect. The process was slow yet steady that lasted for a few months, but it happened and that was what mattered to him.

While Hadrian did not originally belong in this world and there was no need for him to do such a thing, he felt indebted to the man who had been his father in this second life.

Arin von Aelfryth was a good man to Lucia, and the best father that any child could ask for. It was only upsetting that Hadrian had not manage to spend more time with him, but even that can't be helped. The man had to join the war and he had a good purpose for doing so.

Therefore, Hadrian could hardly blame him for it.

A lot of innocent people had been dying, and the state of the world was on the brink of calamity. All of the clues they found had pointed to the Moon, and so Arin was left with no choice.

Win the war and restore balance to the world, or risk letting someone with malevolent intentions to win and ignore the needs of the world.

The choice was obvious, and Hadrian could not be more proud of him.

But of course, the outcome of the war was not expected nor was it surprising.

It was then around that time that Fou was given to him by his grandfather, who advised him to take care of Fou as she was entrusted to him by someone of great stature.

While he was grateful, Hadrian wondered if his grandfather simply gave Fou to him to distract him from the events of the war, especially about his father's death.

Hadrian often found himself accompanied with melancholic thoughts after the Holy Grail War was over and he returned home with Arturia in tow. Needless to say, whenever Hadrian was left to his own devices, he would tend to stay quiet and lost himself deep in his thoughts, reflecting on his experience in the war.

Said negative thoughts disappeared when Fou came into the picture, but Hadrian remembered that she had an original owner.

When Hadrian asked who that person was and why Fou was given to him, his grandfather only said…

"_Let's just say that she's someone who is interested in you. She knows what you did for the world, and Fou is your reward for your efforts without asking for anything in return_."

…

Even to this day, Hadrian had no idea who Fou's original owner was. He had asked his grandfather about it twice, but he did not pursue the matter any further after that, considering as the old man looked a bit uncomfortable when Hadrian tried to ask him more about Fou's previous owner.

What he does know was that Fou is not an ordinary creature.

He had never seen one like her before, and so he assumed that her origins must be related to the magical side of things.

Nevertheless, even without the old man's vague words and advice, Hadrian had every intention to take care of Fou.

He found her to be quite adorable and, whenever he feels down, Fou would always never leave his side.

Usually, his retainers would be the ones to notice the changes in his mood, especially Arturia, but Fou was a lot quicker to pick up on his emotions than the others could. The familiar bond between the two of them might have given her an edge compared to the others, so there was that.

Yesterday, Fou was with Arturia since Hadrian had been asleep.

When he woke up, he had seen Fou also look at him in concern like the rest of his retainers.

She even wanted to go and comfort him, but Hadrian reassured her through their familiar bond and she stayed with Arturia instead.

Fou was often there to accompany him, and Hadrian could not be more grateful for her presence in his life.

And the same can be said with his friends and family in this life, including his retainers.

Hadrian smiled.

He picked her up carefully with both hands, chuckling softly when she uttered her trademarked 'fou' before he laid her down on his chest and closer to his face.

He nuzzled her and whispered his good mornings, smiling when she returned the gesture by cuddling back.

"How are you doing? Hm?" Hadrian asked her gently.

"Fou."

The cute little animal responded as per as usual with a twitch of her tail and ears.

"Okay, good." Hadrian smile's widened a little.

With one last rub on her head, Hadrian slowly sat up and looked around the room after he settled her on his lap.

His private quarters was spacious and well furnished: a king-size bed in the center, a 49' flat screen TV equipped with the latest consoles and gadgets, a mini fridge beside the table drawer that the TV was set upon, a master bathroom behind the wall of his bed, a spacious dressing room, a private study nearby and a veranda that has the best view of the ocean.

It was to be expected since they did made reservations in one of the most expensive hotels in the country.

'_Well… it was more like opa made the reservations. Not me_.' He thought wryly.

When it comes to Magi, displaying (wasting) their wealth was one of the things that was peculiar about his kind, along with ego-ribbing and playing politics in the high circles of their society.

His grandfather, Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg, was no different from the rest when it comes to matters related to wealth.

Even though they only need to stay here for no more than a week, the old man still went and purchased a penthouse in one of the best hotels in the country.

Hadrian can only wonder how much it cost, but he would not be surprised if the price to buy the penthouse went by millions.

'_Magi and their weird sense of lifestyle_…' Hadrian shook his head with a sigh.

Watching her master's strange actions, Fou tilted her head in curiosity as she looked up at him.

"Fou?"

Looking at the glass doors of the veranda, he can tell that it was still too early by the lack of sunlight from behind the midnight curtains that covered the entrance.

He turned to look at the digital clock by the bedside table, and saw that it was [3:30 AM].

His day usually starts [4:00 AM], but since he didn't feel like going back to sleep, Hadrian felt that he might as well start the day early and do something to distract himself.

'_Speaking of which_…'

Hadrian turned his head to the right, and saw a familiar lump that was somewhat hidden by the layers of white sheet.

With a closer look, he saw that it was Arturia, still asleep and closer to the spot of where he had been resting before.

The only reason as to why they had not bumped into each other during the night was because of the pillow that he had been hugging before he went to sleep.

But, Arturia does not seem to have any reservations in sleeping closer to where he was.

Hadrian knew that he should not stare at her, but he did it anyways due to the sight before him.

Despite her reservations and doubts in the beginning, Arturia seems to have taken to wearing a nightie whenever it was time for them to turn in for the night.

During their time on the Moon, Hadrian would share his bed with her to let her rest as well.

Since there was no use to be on guard all the time while inside the privacy of their room, Hadrian had manage to convince Arturia to sleep beside him so that she can at least relax.

While the 'bed' was actually a couple of desks with many layers of blankets and pillows that an NPC had gave him, Hadrian thought to make the bed in the end since he does need to sleep to keep his magical reserves up to full in order to continue providing his mana for Arturia.

Hadrian had also thought to make another bed for Arturia, but because of the lack of resources in the area (and he had yet to gain access to the **Armiger Arsenal**, due to his temporary amnesia that time), he was left with no choice but to share the bed he made with Arturia.

The woman had been quite stubborn, that's for sure.

At first, she often refuted his words with her own reasons by saying "as a Servant, I do not require rest" to him and among other things.

It didn't even worked when Hadrian tried to offer the bed to her only, and that he can sleep on the floor if it had made her uncomfortable, but she still refused.

It was only when Hadrian came to know about how much Arturia loves food did he found some success.

After convincing (bribing) her with promises of cooking some well-structured food for her, Arturia eventually relented and had taken to sleep beside him from then on.

Ever since then, the two of them had gotten used to the routine that they adopted during the events on the Moon.

And by the looks of it, it seems that that habit would not be changing any time soon.

But, what made Hadrian stare was due to her current choice of attire.

It was a nightie instead of her usual nightgown.

Even though Hadrian had training in sex education, courtesy of his grandfather's insistence and the one from his first life, he still found himself affected by the opposite sex when the women in question have relations to him in some way, such as Arturia and his other female retainers for example.

The first time she wore it, Hadrian found himself rendered completely silent.

It was the first time for him too, to have his mind shut down by such a… lovely sight.

By the look on her face that day, even he can tell that she was embarrassed by her outfit, and Hadrian did not want to dishonor her by acting like a fool.

He respect her too much, so he tried his best to act natural around her and purge his mind of any strange thoughts.

That night was the most sleepless night he had ever had in his life, in both lifetimes.

'_Must be the other girls' influence. I think mama may have a hand in this too_…' Hadrian mused, recalling the times Arturia went out with his mother and the other girls for shopping.

Eventually, he had gotten used to her wearing it, but it still gets him every time.

It did not helped him at all when she bought different styles of nightwear, all of which were more tempting than the last, and randomly wear one of them to bed.

Last night though, the nightie she was wearing was made of white satin. It has thin shoulder straps, and reaches down her thighs midway.

Hadrian knew that if he were to tilt his head to the right, the angle would provide him a view of her panties and a glimpse of her rear.

It was a good thing that some of the sheets was tangled with her legs, but when one rose up and the sheets moved, he was given a perfect view of her smooth, creamy thigh.

During the night, Arturia's hair has splayed all over her pillow, creating a halo of gold above her head. The expression on her beautiful face was peaceful and relaxed. The admittedly spectacular view of her smooth, flush tinted cleavage, and one of the shoulder straps falling off her equally smooth, snow-white shoulder was already… quite tempting to look at.

He did the best thing that he can do in these type of situations.

Hadrian turned his head away and closed his eyes, taking deep breaths to calm his raging hormones after a few seconds of staring at the beautiful sight near him.

All the while, Fou was watching her master's funny actions in silent curiosity, her long ears twitching every now and then.

Once he was sure that his body had calmed down, Hadrian turned his gaze back to Arturia, who was still (fortunately) asleep.

With a calm facade that belied what he was truly feeling, Hadrian leaned closer and raised one hand.

Gently, he grabbed a hold of the sheets and raised it to Arturia's neck, so that she was well covered and can stay warm from the cold morning breeze.

'_There_…' Hadrian smiled in relief, feeling calm and satisfied now that the temptation was no longer in view.

The smile slowly disappeared however, as his thoughts returned to the event that changed his life.

Hadrian thought that he would never be involved in a war again after being born in it in his first life.

But, he did not expect to be involved in one voluntarily.

In his first life, war had always been present from the moment that he can remember.

Even though his father, Aeneas, tried to be there in his children's lives, the war against the Empire had often demanded his attention, which left Hadrian and Astraea mostly on their own and with their respective attendants to take care of them as they grew older in time.

After his mother, Reina de Lucis Caelum (may the astrals bless her soul), had passed away, his father always had a solemn expression on his face that never seems to fade.

The only few times that Hadrian had seen him smile was when he was around him and Astraea. And, it had been upsetting for Hadrian to witness his father confess about feeling guilty for not spending more of his time with him and Astraea before he passed away on his deathbed.

Even so, Hadrian did not blamed his father for his choices, for he had been in his place.

Choosing to spend his attention on the efforts against the Empire's forces was more important, not only because it can keep the kingdom safe, but also his children as well.

If Lucis is safe, then so does his loved ones. That was what his father must be thinking of during those times, Hadrian guessed.

And, in all honesty, it was what Hadrian had thought about in his last moments as well.

Hadrian knew how the others saw him in his first life.

How can he not be aware of it, when one of his abilities as a Lucis Caelum allows him to feel other people's emotions?

After his success in collecting all of the royal weapons and augmenting the powers of the Ring of Lucii, Hadrian had awakened several abilities that originated from the royal bloodline. One of them in particular was the ability to sense the target's emotions, no matter the race, and as long as they are sentient and a living creature.

When Hadrian told his opa about it (and not about its origin), the cheeky old man had officially christened it as the '**Empathy**'.

Much to his annoyance, the old man even gave it an alternative name, such as '**Clairsentience**'.

The look that Hadrian gave him that day can make a man wither, but the old man merely grinned at him, obviously unrepentant.

Ignoring the old man's antics that time, the only limitations they found in the ability was the distance and the guessing game.

First, Hadrian had to be nearby to sense the target's feelings and emotions. And second, he had to learn how to separate the two, and remember which one was which.

Fortunately, with the help of the Moon Cell, the limitations had been rendered inert.

With the Moon Cell, Hadrian can sense the target's emotions and feelings no matter the distance and how much time has passed, and can be aware of what the target is feeling via the notifications that the Automaton sends in his mind.

Not only that, the mechanics of his 'upgraded' ability would be similar to modern video games with crime investigations. The Moon Cell provides him a perfect visual of the scene in his mindscape, and it gives him the option to 'see' things that happened in the past. It also points him to key information that are related to the things that he wants to find.

But, in his first life, Hadrian did not have the Moon Cell to help him discern the emotions and feelings. Thus, he had to literally learn and cope in dealing with its effect on his own.

Not even his retainers were aware of this ability. Not that he didn't want to tell them, but because he feels that there was no need for him to do so. Also, he thought that it might make them worry for him even more if he did tell them about it. Having them worry over his health had already been enough, there was just no reason for him to add another on top of it.

As for their views, Hadrian was perfectly aware of how others sees him.

Hadrian closed his eyes, recalling certain memories of his first life.

There were a lot of various emotions that he felt from all the people he encountered, but most prominent one of them all was their love for him, which came mostly from the masses of Lucis, his friends and his only remaining family, Astraea.

That was why, Hadrian did not hesitated in sacrificing most of his time for the betterment of the kingdom.

In fact, he would not even think twice of going through all of that again for the second time around, if it was to make sure to keep the kingdom and his loved ones safe. The only different choice that he will make would be to ensure that he survives the last battle and put a swift but painful end to that vile Emperor.

Hadrian frowned, feeling sour at the thought of his most hated enemy.

So many lives had been lost because of the scoundrel, and Hadrian had hoped that he would be the one to end the fool, preferably by gutting the imbecile and severing his head off.

'_Hmm… maybe I should pay a visit in the future_.' Hadrian mused. '_That is, if I can learn opa's True Magic to make it in time_…'

Feeling anger rising up in his chest, Hadrian took a deep breath to calm himself down, counting from one to ten in his mind.

Still, even if he wanted to return to that time, Hadrian had already decided to let go and move on with his life.

During his time in the Holy Grail War, Hadrian had been through quite a lot of ups and downs.

The confusion, the helplessness, the handicaps of his temporary amnesia, his reason for joining the war, his guilt for surviving at the expense of defeating his enemies, and more. Unlike his first taste of what war was like in his first life, the one that he experienced in this world had given him a long lasting impression that Hadrian knew would never go away.

His opponents made various impressions upon him in their own unique ways.

Speaking and fighting against Dan Blackmore made him question his resolve. Alice made him think of his morals. Even fighting Shinji Matou made him more determined to survive in the war.

Although, Hadrian supposed that it was more in the influence of his Servant, Francis Drake, who did the influencing and not Shinji. Funny dude he may be, Shinji was kind of an asshole during their time in the war, but even he didn't deserved to die like that.

In his defense though, everyone in the war was determined to win the grail for their own sake, and Shinji was simply unprepared and lacked the resolve to win the battle.

As sour the truth may be, but it is the truth nonetheless.

'_Survival of the fittest_...' Hadrian mused, weary by the thought.

When Hadrian claimed the Moon Cell and made his wish, he felt relieved, guilty and hollow.

He felt relieved because the war was finally over. There would be no more people dying and his father's sacrifice did not go to waste. His late father, Arin, was part of the reason why he volunteered to participate and end the war, after all. Hence, he felt gladdened that he had finished what his father had intended to do.

By winning the war, Hadrian felt that his father can rest at ease now, wherever he may be.

On the other hand, he also felt guilty and hollow.

Guilt because he had been the only one to actually win the war. The participants in his generation had not been the only ones to join the event. There had been countless of others in the past, and many of them had died, even the ones who survived in the end. In some self-depreciating aspect, Hadrian felt like he was stepping on the countless bodies of the defeated participants when he got closer to the Holy Grail and made his wish, including the ones that earned the right to have the grail, like his father.

His opa told him that he was experiencing a mental condition known as the '**Survivor's Guilt**', due to the brutal events of the war, which was something to be expected.

Hadrian can only agree, seeing as most of his thoughts after he returned home often leads back to the war and the numerous questions of 'what-ifs' in his head.

However, Arturia and the others told him that while it was expected, it would be better for him not to dwell too deeply about it. While the war had been brutal and cruel, they advised Hadrian that he should not let his guilt for surviving the event become something to be ashamed of, and to not let it affect him too much.

All participants had joined the war for their own reasons, and while they did not survived, Hadrian is not the one to be blamed for their deaths.

The rules of the war had been simple: win and you survive, lose and you die.

Inside though, Hadrian agrees, but he still felt responsible for the ones that was his fault, such as the deaths of the others who faced him in the war.

But, it was an opinion that he kept to himself. It was better that way, or else, the others would scold him for thinking of such things and being stubborn about the subject.

If anything, Rin and the others all pointed the blame on the leech of an apparition with questionable sanity, who lurked behind the Moon Cell, for every incidents related to the alien artifact.

'_Like a creep_…' Hadrian scowled, arms crossed over his chest.

**Twice H. Pieceman**. That was the name of that imbecile.

There were no words, no simple words to describe what kind of impression that guy had left upon Hadrian.

If he were to put it in one word, Hadrian would choose 'complicated', and that was just putting it nicely.

The infamous phrase of 'do not judge a book by its cover' applies well to that imbecile.

His appearance was that of an average-looking man in his late 20's, with short black hair and gray eyes that was covered by his black framed glasses. He wore a doctor's uniform with a black collar, a white shirt with long-sleeves and a black, gray and light blue tie. He also wore a gray sweater vest, a white lab coat, a pair of black gloves, black pants with gray lines, and black shoes.

But, what stood out the most about him was the utterly blank expression on his face, and the eerie aura of 'nothingness' that covered his form like a blanket.

At first sight, Hadrian knew that the man was dead on the inside, and he also knew that trying to reason with the imbecile would simply get him nowhere.

Furthermore, it was already quite suspicious when Hadrian and the others found Twice alone in the area where the Moon Cell Automaton was located.

The leech had greeted them when Hadrian, Arturia, Rin and Rani arrived in that place, as if there was nothing wrong.

Despite not knowing much about how the war works, even Hadrian knew that there should not be anyone in the Core's area but the winner, which can only be him in that case.

His former mentor, Lord El-Melloi II, had warned him about someone in the Moon before he left the Earth. He remembered being told that that person was the one he should watch out for. Then, when Arturia informed him that she felt the presence of Servant nearby, Hadrian knew that he found the person that his former mentor had told him about.

Eventually, his thoughts were proven to be correct when the leech started to manipulate him, asking him to make a wish to the Grail for the perpetuation of the war and the continued advance of man in his stead, leaving Hadrian with no other options to choose from but the single one Twice had pushed in front of him.

Based on his experience with psychopaths (like that certain ever loathsome Emperor), Hadrian was well-aware that trying to go circles with him would just be a waste of his time.

Sure, Hadrian can empathize with what the leech was trying to say.

The '**Prince**' even understood what the madman was trying to get at.

It goes along the lines of…

'_By letting the war continue perpetually, mankind will be stronger and the weak shall be weeded out. Many people will die and the earth might be next, but that's okay. Survival of the fittest is the newest trend, don't you agree?_'

… was basically what the madman was trying to say.

Granted, the fool had not stated the words that way, but the meaning behind it remains all the same.

But, Hadrian found himself to care less of what kind of idiotic shit that that leech was saying.

So, without a word, Hadrian simply **ignored** whatever nonsense that madman was spouting and attacked him where he stood.

Considering as the Moon Cell deemed the leech as an '**invalid data**', Hadrian figured that it would not really matter much if he killed the madman on the spot.

Besides, it saved him the trouble of letting the situation dissolved into a battle between their Servants, so Hadrian merely skipped the traditions and put the leech out of his misery.

Arturia knew about his past life via the dream cycle, while both Rin and Rani knew that he was not an ordinary Magus based on the background information they had about him.

While they had been surprised by his action, the three could hardly scold him for it, seeing as they are well aware of his views about the Holy Grail War.

Watching Twice literally confessed his crimes in front them, and to actually have the gall to try and manipulate him, was the final nail to the coffin that was Hadrian's patience.

With a quiet teleportation, Hadrian had lessened the distance between them in a split second and he landed right behind the fool, who was unaware of what he had brought upon himself.

Before Twice's servant became aware of his presence, Hadrian already had one of his Mystic Codes (which is a silver metal construct in the form of a gun), **Silver Trident**, gripped in his right hand, and he aimed it right in the center of that fool's heart from behind.

The roaring scream that tore out of the leech's mouth would had been satisfying to hear, if not for the fact that Hadrian was too angry to care or noticed his pain.

The fool's servant, Saver, had tried to interfere, but it was already too late for him to save his Master.

With no mercy for the leech, Hadrian pulled the trigger of Silver Trident again, casting a quick spell that multiplied the fool's suffering a thousand times than it originally was, and Twice screamed his heart out that one would assume that he had gone insane from the pain.

Twice's earsplitting cries echoed in the vast area of the Moon Cell's core that day, and Hadrian can still remember the sounds as if it had happened yesterday.

In that moment, Hadrian truly wanted to make the fool suffer for what he had done to the world.

He did not care whether the man had been good once, or the good deeds that he did in life. What he understood about Twice was that he gave up on humanity, turned back on his beliefs and was the source for the great internal strife that caused a lot of innocent people to die all over the world, including his father, Arin.

By letting the fool drown in his pain till it stayed within his soul, Hadrian made sure that he suffered before pulling on the trigger again and, finally, killing him off with a spell that he imbued with the magical energy of a True Magic.

The '**Disintegration**' spell, one of the spells within Hadrian's brand of Magecraft.

The spell was purposely made to 'destroy' all things in its path. With it, Hadrian can decompose a target by dissolving their entire structure at a molecular level in a single cast.

He designed the spell to be quite versatile as well, as it provides him with various selection of which part that he can disintegrate. It can be the whole structure, or simply some part of it. It can also be used against an object, an area, and even an enemy's attack, kinetic energy or magical.

In Twice's case, Hadrian had disintegrated some nerves of the fool's heart, which seemed to shock the leech based on his expression before the pain took over and he was forced to kneel on the floor.

Arturia had also stepped in and protected him by intercepting Saver's attack before it could reached him and keeping the latter at bay with Rin and Rani's help, while Hadrian killed off Twice.

Even to this day, Hadrian recalled the feeling of cold anger that seethed quietly in his heart when he watched the fool's body dissolved into little particles of light.

Hadrian did not even noticed that Saver and Arturia had stopped fighting once Twice disappeared from the Moon Cell for good, seeing as it would brought Saver nothing to gain because his Master was already dead. He didn't even noticed that Saver had faded away and left them with parting words related to Twice.

When he did finally noticed the situation, it was when Arturia held his hand and covered it with her own.

Hadrian smiled, feeling the warmth in his heart as he remembered that particular memory.

From the moment that he summoned her, Arturia had always been there for him. It would not even be a stretch to say that he owed his life to her that day, due to the numerous times that she managed to save his life during the war. Their time together on the Moon was something that he will never nor want to forget, including the bad times.

Which was why it did not surprised him at all that she made the cold anger in his chest fade away with a mere touch of her hands.

Having dreamt of her past, Hadrian understood Arturia greatly as she did with him. It had been quite a shock to know that her past was almost the same as his, and it scared him that he would have had turned exactly similar in her position had their positions been reverse.

Arturia though, looked a bit wistful yet proud when she saw his past and after he explained it to her.

She was sad to see how his first life had become and his sacrifice at the end, but she looked a bit envious of his choice in remaining as himself and keeping his emotions instead of suppressing them like she had 'foolishly done', as she put it. Then, she looked proud of what he had accomplished for his kingdom, and for being his Servant.

She also told him that she felt glad and thankful that she met him.

Although amused by her words and the adorable expression on her face, Hadrian corrected her that he should be the one saying that to her.

Looking back on it, Hadrian deemed their story in the war as a black comedy, really.

The two of them had been cut from the same cloth, so similar yet different at the same time. They were born with similar circumstances: born in a time of war, both of their parents were dead before they got old enough, ascended to kingship at an early age, almost similar in personality, went on a journey to get stronger, and among other things.

Fate threw a wrench at their lives when the only way for them to meet each other was through a war that was not like any other. Funnily enough, the two of them despised war. So, for them to meet in one and have positive memories of it, Hadrian found that to be the most irony on a different scale.

Feeling that familiar tapping on his lap, Hadrian was broken out of his musings as he opened his eyes in surprise and looked down.

It was Fou, who was looking up at him with her head titled slightly.

"Kyufou?"

Through the link of their bond, Hadrian can easily feel her concern for him, causing him to smile and pat her on the head as thanks before he settled her down on the covers.

Happy to help him out of his funk, Fou trotted over to Arturia and curled up beside her to sleep.

With one last look at Arturia's peaceful expression, Hadrian slowly rose from the bed, making sure not to make strong movements that would her wake up.

…

* * *

…

He slowly made his way to the bathroom, closing the door gently behind him.

Like the bedroom, the bathroom was spacious and luxuriously furnished as well. White marble floors, a large shower that can fit five people, a modern style bathtub, and among other things.

Used to seeing such luxury in his first life and then now, Hadrian didn't even blink as he entered the master bathroom.

After heating up the water in the bathtub, he started to take off his pajamas, folding them neatly before leaving it in the hamper.

Hadrian let out a soft sigh as he slowly submerged his body in the pleasant heated water.

'_Can't believe I would dream of that, of all things_…' The cyan eyed Master mused with a frown. '_I certainly hope he's not haunting me or something_.'

Hadrian sighed and closed his eyes, leaning his head back against the headrest of the bathtub.

Being reincarnated and sent over here by the astrals, it was a certainly different experience for him.

Even without hints, Hadrian already knew that the astrals of Eos had something to do with his situation in this world, considering as they were the only beings in his world that has enough power to accomplish such a thing. In addition, the Astral Goddess of Death, Lady Etro, was quite known to be favorable to the Lucis Caelum family.

Ergo, Hadrian would not be so surprised if she and the astrals had something to do with his reincarnation.

Still, he did wonder as to why they would do such a thing.

Having read myths and numerous tales of the astrals, Hadrian had come to a conclusion that they are beings that do not really understand mortals. Rarely do they ever show themselves to mortals and rarely do they even lend their help. When he was a child, his opinion had often gotten him scolded by his father for bearing doubts to the astrals in the past.

But, his narrow-minded view was simply based on an assumption from childhood.

When Hadrian grew older and went on a short journey to collect the royal weapons and increased the ring's power, he knew that there was more to the world than meets the eye.

After the Ring of Lucii had accepted him as the new King, Hadrian had gained a sort of awareness for the supernatural.

Sometimes, he would hear unknown voices with power, dream of things that might shape the future, and feel presences that he had never known were there before he wore the ring.

Then, he met a being that looked like a human, who called herself '**Gentiana**'.

Said being had the appearance of a beautiful woman with long glossy black hair that flowed down her back like a straight river. She had a pale skin, tall (with the height of 5'7), and a body that was so well-proportioned and perfect that it can leave men gaping in shock and awe at her beauty.

Strangely enough, her eyes were closed, and yet every time she appeared to him, Hadrian always felt that she was looking at him even without actually seeing him.

She had introduced herself to him as the '**High Messenger**' of the astral gods, and she often assisted him in his journey across Eos. Through Gentiana, Hadrian's belief in the astrals had solidified, and their actions that led to him being reincarnated in this world made him believe that they are benevolent beings.

On a side note, Hadrian was glad that the astrals had the foresight to seal the memories of his past life before he was sent here to be reincarnated.

His memories returned to him slowly as he grew older in this world. Hadrian had first thought that he was going crazy at that time, but as the pieces fell into place, so did his understanding of the current situation. It was a good thing on his part that he did not tell anyone in his family about any strange dreams that he had in the past.

Otherwise, he doubted that they would just leave the matter alone, especially with a certain old Magician.

Also, it was a good thing that he was not yet fully conscious and aware of his situation at that time. It would be a nightmare for him if his mind had been in full maturity at such a young age. Or else, he would have had memories of the times when his mother, Lucia, breastfed him.

Hadrian shuddered at the thought.

'_No. Just no_…' He grimaced. '_Glad I don't remember that part of my life_.'

The world he was born in was odd. It was familiar, yet unique at the same time.

Growing up in a household with ancient magical roots, it was something that he did not expect, let alone to be surrounded by loving parents and a grandparent.

If one were to ignore that they were Magi, Arin and Lucia are the best parents that any child can ask for.

They were attentive and caring, never the type to leave without letting him know that they were there for him always and would listen to his troubles if he has any.

While he only had a few memories of his father, Arin had still left an impression on Hadrian because they were good and positive memories.

As a father, Arin had done a good job in being one to Hadrian. He was calm, kind and patient with him, taking his time in teaching him about Magecraft. Often times, his mother would find the two of them exchanging theories and ideas regarding Magecraft either at lunch or dinner. Sometimes, his grandfather would also be there with them, though it often ends in hilarity.

Whenever he was around Arin, Hadrian felt unburdened and free to be himself.

It felt as if the man has no expectations of him other than finding his own happiness in this world, and Hadrian supposed it was that side of his father that made him think of him fondly.

As for his mother, Lucia, she was nearly similar as Arin. She too was calm, kind and patient with him. But, she was more open in showing her love for him as a mother. She would give him hugs, and always provide him some of her attention whenever she sees him around the castle.

As someone related to the old Magician, Lucia also had a habit of teasing the people who were close to her, including Hadrian.

His mother (in his life) would sometimes pinch his cheek or tweak his nose in jest, which would result with Hadrian giving her a glare that she only found adorable and a great incentive to tease him even more, much to Hadrian's slight annoyance.

His grandfather though… loving and caring, yet quite the prankster too.

In his first life, Hadrian never had a grandparent before. The ones in his first life had already passed away before he was even born, and Hadrian only got to know about them through his father, who would tell him stories about them when he and Astraea had been young. Thus, it was a new experience for Hadrian to have one in this life.

Having Zelretch as a grandfather was quite a fun experience. But as a senior Magus, Zelretch can be seen as both a mentor and a wise advisor.

Unlike his parents, who were more gentle and firm in their approach in showing their care for him, his grandfather was different.

Most of the time, he can be doting, kind and caring. Other times, he was strict, firm and wise.

Sure, there was a mix of hilarity and silliness that would simply sneak its way in without warning beneath his grandfather's serious demeanor, but his vast knowledge and wealth of experience in the art of Magecraft and True Magic were truly something to behold. After witnessing it in person so many times, Hadrian had seen how his grandfather had earned the title of '**Wizard Marshall**'.

Of course, it was also rather obvious that the old man has high expectations of him.

Fortunately, Hadrian had his own wealth of knowledge and experience to call upon to meet the old man's expectations, even if his family do not know about the origins of his '_ideas_'.

He may have come from a world different from Eos, but magic was something that he has great knowledge of.

He grew up with it, after all, in both lifetimes. And as he grew up in this world, so does his knowledge and talent in magic.

His grandfather took great interest in his potential, even going as far as to assign two individuals test him in different levels of Magecraft.

The first had been Lord El-Melloi II, who taught him the basic levels of Magecraft until his grandfather would tell him to stop.

It hadn't been hard for Hadrian to learn the basics.

From what Hadrian understood, the utilization of a Magecraft must require the caster's magical energy, which was called Od in this world, and the belief in one's self to let it materialize into reality.

As a firm believer in the astrals and his familiarity with magic in his first life, Hadrian had no issues in learning the ways of Magecraft whatsoever, much to Lord El-Melloi II's astonishment.

The lessons did not last long. It took Hadrian less than a year to know every way and corner of the basics of Magecraft, but he would made it less if not for his former mentor's insistence to double check regarding everything that he had learned from him so far.

While amused, Hadrian indulged the long-haired professor by diligently and calmly taking to the older man's lessons till he was no longer worried about him.

Even though his former mentor scowls a lot, he was quite the softy inside, despite his usual grouchy appearance.

Once Lord El-Melloi II was satisfied with his progress, his grandfather had ended the basic lessons from there.

His grandfather then proceeded in upping the difficulty of his lessons by assigning Lady **Lorelei** of **Barthomeloi** house, the Vice Chairman and the other Wizard Marshall of the Clock Tower, to teach him the advance levels of Magecraft, which lasted longer than the basics for a year and a few months.

Lady Lorelei's lessons had been trickier than his former mentor's.

Her lessons were strict, on-point and she does not mess around. She had high expectations of him, and would often scold him whenever he was too slow to understand a formula that should be easy for his intellect to grasp in minutes. However, while she was strict with him, Hadrian can see that she was quite caring and kind on the inside.

'_Like a porcupine_...' He thought in amusement, lips twitching into a smile at the thought of his brown-haired female mentor. '_All prickly, but adorable on the inside_.'

Of course, Hadrian would never say such a thing out loud regarding Lady Lorelei. That would simply earn him a quick punishment and then a harsh scolding next.

After the advance lessons with Lady Lorelei was done, his grandfather had issued a new challenge by telling Hadrian to do a self-study and create his own brand of Magecraft.

It had been difficult at first, due to the risks and he was literally diving into the unknown, but Hadrian was anything if not persistent.

Thanks to his determination and creativity, he had managed to create it from the various researches that he had taken interest in long ago. With the help of those researches, his father's research and his uncle's notes about the First True Magic combined together, Hadrian was able to make a unique brand of Magecraft that is closer to a True Magic.

It also helped that Hadrian had been inspired and drew significant influences from the spells and the magic system that he used in his first life.

'**Void Magecraft**', was the official name of it.

Considering as he designed it to support the First Magic, most of the spells that he made so far has intimate relations with the latter subjects.

In hindsight, it was probably the reason why he had been given the rank of '**Crown**' by the high council of the Mage's Association, along with that infernal title '**Prince**'.

Ironically, if one were to put the two together, they would be pronounced as '**Crown Prince**', which was the irony of all ironies. It did not even helped make things better for him that one of his mentors has the title of '**Queen**' of the Clock Tower, along with how the residents of the moonlit world would bow to him in greeting whenever they see him as if he was royalty in this world as well.

Sometimes, it made Hadrian wonder if Fate just likes to mess with him a lot.

'_Speaking of a spell_…'

Recalling a certain memory in his dream, Hadrian huffed to himself.

That particular dream had occurred only several months ago.

After he closed off the Moon and made it completely inaccessible to everyone, Hadrian had to make sure that there were no loose ends.

By diligently going through the records provided by the Moon Cell, he wanted to make sure if there was anything strange lingering in the Moon, just waiting to make itself known.

When he came by a certain info about the Far Side of the Moon, Hadrian went there and personally saw to it himself.

Unlike before, the transition to go from earth and to the inner side of the moon had been easy for him. It helped that the Moon Cell was compliant to his wishes, and that it had merged with his soul after the war was over. Thus, when Hadrian ordered it to make the Far Side appear like the Arena, his wish was followed to the letter and he had gotten himself a private training ground that day.

Since Hadrian was born in this world, he never really had the chance to explore the limits of his powers, to test whether his powers from the Lucis Caelum bloodline was still there.

Fortunately, when he was old enough, his small tests proved that his Lucian powers were still there with him, despite being reborn a second time.

Unfortunately, his new family did not exactly gave him much privacy when he was young. His eccentric grandfather and his antics did not helped make things easy for him at all.

While Hadrian does love his new family and cherishes them greatly, there were some moments that he simply wish for them to give him a bit of privacy.

Thankfully, his parents understood, even without him telling them about it. They probably thought that he was going through some phase or something at that time, and didn't really think too deeply about giving him some privacy to explore the world, but Hadrian did not complain since the outcome did worked in his favor.

His grandfather though… the word 'doting' and 'noisy' comes to his mind.

Hadrian does not want to think unkindly of his grandfather, but honestly, the old man can be unbearable sometimes.

So, when the Moon Cell made him a new 'Arena' to play with, Hadrian spent most of his time training in that place to his heart's content.

All of his pent up stress that he kept bottled up for fourteen years, he poured it all into his training and killing a bunch of dangerous programs that had been discarded as 'errors' by the Moon Cell.

Back then, Hadrian had worked hard to bring his body to the peak of its condition. Thanks to the divine essence within his blood, he was able to take several hits from large monsters the likes of a Behemoth, and still be alright to stand and fight. After being reincarnated in this world, Hadrian had to start over.

Even now, his body was not yet up to the level that he had in his first life, but his weakness was slowly being overcome as the time goes by.

Of course, his visits there had to be done under the pretense of 'improving his research inside his private workshop'.

His retainers then, especially Arturia, were quite perceptive of his movements. They knew some of his powers, but they don't really know of its origins, including his family in this regard.

Arturia and a few of his retainers were the only ones who knew, but they knew not to speak a word of it unless Hadrian is ready to tell the others about the truth.

In regards to his visits to the inner side of the moon though, all of them were not aware of his 'trips'.

Therefore, he had to be extra careful in going there without arising suspicion from them.

(In the end, it didn't really mattered since he got found out by Arturia herself. She demanded him to take her as well whenever he goes there, and his other retainers jumped in the bandwagon too when they found out the truth from their arguments. From then on, Hadrian was accompanied by his retainers, so that they too can have some 'fun'.)

After training for a month there, Hadrian had reached the deepest part of the Arena, and that was where he found **that guy**.

The **King of Heroes**, **Gilgamesh**.

Or at least, it was the recorded version of the original that the Moon Cell had copied in its database.

Nevertheless, based on his findings, Hadrian knew that the being he met at the bottom of the Arena was closer to the original, if not the truest version of himself.

What went on in that place had nearly cost him his life, but what surprised Hadrian more was how that fight ended.

When Gilgamesh saw his weird sword breaking apart, he simply raised his hand and called their battle into a sudden halt, despite having been the one who started attacking Hadrian on sight.

It had stupefied Hadrian too, to have an all-out battle in his hands suddenly start and then stopped right when he was just about to end the guy.

During those moments, Hadrian concluded that he had met another weirdo in his second lifetime.

In his first lifetime, Hadrian had met a few weirdos during his travels around Eos. In this world though, Hadrian had met a lot of them, including among them was his opa and some of his friends.

(In some parts of the world and somewhere within the penthouse, several people sneezed at the same time.)

Admittedly though, the older blonde was a weirdo amongst weirdos, especially when Gilgamesh began spouting off about becoming his 'heir' and whatever nonsense.

Unable to find the urge to continue the fight, Hadrian simply agreed to whatever the man was asking, so that it can be over and done with.

What happened after that was a real blur, but from Hadrian's recollection, the older blonde appeared to be quite impressed with him and his abilities, despite being a mortal. Then, he started calling him a 'Hero', someone worthy of inheriting all of the treasures that he had collected, and how he should rejoice for being the one to receive all of it.

Hadrian, on the other hand, merely showed his own enthusiasm by doing a fist pump in the air with a tired smile on his face.

Fortunately, the guy showed some restraint at his impudence, or he just outright ignored Hadrian's actions. Otherwise, the fight would start all over again, but on a different reason.

Then, Gilgamesh moved the conversation along and advised him to find the key that will be the door to all the treasures that he had kept hidden from the rest of the world.

When Hadrian asked him why, the blonde man simply answered him that it was his reward for amusing him too much.

After those parting words, Hadrian never saw him ever again. Also, now that he thought about it, the guy didn't even answered his question.

Anyways, it was as if the man outright vanish in his very eyes that day, which caused Hadrian to wonder whether he was actually real or merely an apparition in the system.

Frankly, Hadrian thinks that the King was just impressed with his spells, his weapons, his skills with the royal arms and his teleportation ability.

Based on what he found about Gilgamesh, the older blonde was the first Hero, who was widely acknowledged by mankind in this world. Due to his noble deeds and various accomplishments in the past, the people from all over the world in that era had lauded him as the '**Hero-King**', Gilgamesh.

In addition, the weapons and items used and owned by other heroes in legends were literally once a part of his treasury.

Therefore, giving legitimacy that he can even be called as the '**Father of Heroes**', considering as the meaning of the title '**Hero**' had literally started with him.

During their fight, Hadrian had seen the fascination in Gilgamesh's eyes, which honestly annoyed him at first.

Also, when he turned the tables on him with one of his spells, **Disintegration,** and the **Armiger**, Hadrian saw the anger in his crimson eyes, but there was a new emotion that appeared: approval.

So, after reading the info and recalling his parting words, Hadrian began to understand him a little.

It was only a pity that the guy was arrogant and too egotistical to relate to, but after Gilgamesh had admitted defeated when he saw the crack on his peculiar sword appeared and grew the longer they fought, the arrogant behavior seemed to have toned down.

The words of encouragement and his generous parting gift had also helped in making a good impression upon Hadrian about the King.

After that encounter, Hadrian had to use the Moon Cell to find the key, seeing as relying on a normal search would bring him nowhere and waste his time.

Finding the key, **Bab-ilu**, had not been too difficult. It was displayed in one of the antique shops located in Iraq, just gathering dust there and being useless.

Needless to say, Hadrian bought the item and used it to open himself a portal that leads directly to the treasury.

From what he knows, many people had tried to find the treasury that Gilgamesh had left hidden in the world, and many of them failed.

What they did not know though, was that they need the key, a great amount of magical energy, and (most probably) the approval of the King to open the Gates of Babylon.

Being inside the treasury, it was quite a beautiful sight to behold.

All kinds of treasures were in plain view, displayed there to be admired and hold for its new owner. Rare gems the size of his fist, weapons and items deemed worthy of being inside the treasury by the first King, a large ocean of golden treasures in all various shapes and sizes covered the floor, and many more.

Simply put, it was one of the images that Hadrian would remember for the rest of his life.

Of course, since the King had already given his permission, Hadrian had decided to use the Gate of Babylon as his main choice to use in a fight in case there is a need for him to.

Also, seeing as the King was literally his benefactor in that aspect, Hadrian thought it would be proper to at least call the guy one of his '**Lehrers**', which was a title of respect that he always used to the ones that taught him and gave him the chance to increase his powers.

So far, only his grandfather, Lord El-Melloi II, and Lady Lorelei Barthomeloi had earned that respectful title from him.

But, after the generous gift that he received from the King of Heroes, Hadrian figured it was okay to add Gilgamesh into the list, weird as he may be.

After he returned to his workshop that day, Hadrian found that the weirdo King had literally passed on his abilities to him before he vanished to who knows where.

Interestingly, the Moon Cell had been kind enough to even notify him via thought and the '**PT**' (**Portable Terminal**), which is a device that appears similar to a mobile phone but highly advance in its functions, and it can change its size and shape according to his wishes.

The '**PT**' even provides direct access to most of the Moon Cell's abilities, but like a Mystic Code, only Hadrian can use them exclusively without restrictions.

With most of the anomalies in the Moon gone, Hadrian was left with a simple Arena that he can play and train in with his retainers without worrying about the damages to their surroundings.

Speaking of gems and treasures, Hadrian wondered about what his two friends, Rin Tohsaka and Rani VIII, would say about his 'inheritance' from the weirdo King.

In particular, Hadrian would be more interested in what Rin's reaction would be if she were to see the gems that are in the treasury.

'_She would probably go nuts for it. Jewel Magecraft is her thing, after all_. _Hmm, I wonder where those two are. Last I heard from them was about going to Russia or something_. _I couldn't quite understand what they were saying since Rin was arguing with that blonde girl and Rani was talking to me at the same time_.'

Amused by the thought, Hadrian smiled in fondness as he opened his eyes and looked at the sun making its slow ascent to the sky.

"Well, wherever they are, it would be nice to see those two again. I hope they are okay..."

...

* * *

**Author's Note**

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...

Okay, so that is chapter six done!

Just like I promised, the MC's pov about the nasuverse is revealed.

I'm aware that there's not much interactions here, but I wanted to get this out of the way first.

I know that many of you had been wondering what the hell is going with the MC's life in the Fate verse and what he thinks of it, so I hope those questions are answered in this chapter. This chapter is more detailed info of what the MC has experienced so far in the Fate verse. It's to bring you guys up to speed of what is going on in his life.

As for the character interactions, you guys are going to see it in the next chapter, now that this is out of the way.

Now, before you guys ask why I haven't upload anything before this, I've been busy. Life just gets in the way often.

Not to mention I don't exactly have enough energy nor the time to write after having finished work. So, yeah, I've been quite busy, alright.

Thus, apologies for the delay, guys. I've been working hard and trying to earn hard, but RL gets in the way of my writing.

Well, I certainly hope that you guys enjoyed that 12k words of a chapter. That was also my first fight scene in this story, so I hope you appreciate that.

The first time I imagined it in my head, that scene of where Gil and Heracles duke it out in the Einzbern castle became its source of influence for me to write that first part.

Also, I'll have something important to tell you guys in the future, but that will have to wait in the next chapter. For now, I hope you guys enjoyed this one.

By the way, I'll make this distinction known now for future reference, the '**Armiger**' will be the name of the MC's ability to invoke the crystal weapons.

While the '**Armiger Arsenal**' will be the name for the MC's spatial inventory. This is so to avoid some confusion in the future.

As always, please leave a review, fave, and (or) follow this story. And many thanks to the ones that did all of the above.

Please continue to support this story now and in the future. I look forward in hearing from you guys in the future, and feel free to tell me what you think of this chapter.

I'm always happy to hear feedback from you guys, and it's been fun reading your reviews.

Also, [**Q & A**] is below, so to anyone that left a review in the previous chapter, please scroll below to find your response to the review that you left previously. I originally wanted to place the Q&A page above, but I don't want to delay you guys from reading the new chapter, so I placed it below.

Thank you, and adieu for now! :D

(Note: In German, '**Opa**' means grandfather, while '**Lehrer**' means teacher.)

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* * *

**Q & A**

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**Doortolight47:**

**A** -From what I've read in Gray's wiki page, it doesn't say anything like that. It just says that she was supposed to be King Arthur in the flesh. Even if it did, I'm not going to do that to her. The girl had enough bad things happen to her back at home, she doesn't need anything more. So in this story, she is going to be happy.

Like I had stated before, this story is **mostly** following the lines of the canon, but not all of it.

You guys will see something familiar, and you will see something that is not. I'm mixing things up when it comes to the plot of this story.

No offense to other authors out there, but following the plot in canon is not always fun, you know.

It can be quite boring if what you saw in the anime remains the same in the story that you are reading. I mean, you already watched what happened in the anime, so why would you want to include that in the story if it doesn't add flavor to the plot? There's no fun in reading something that you already know.

Hence, I'm mixing things up by putting different elements from all the Nasuverse and other animes.

Also, as for your question related to Hadrian, I think it's going to be answered in this chapter. I hope you like it! ;)

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**Gen2324:**

**A** \- No, Charles doesn't know about his Master's true origins yet. Only four among his retainers knows about it, which will be revealed in the future chapters. Arturia is already obvious, but there are the other three as well. Two of them is not a Servant though, but they are a part of his entourage.

And yes, hilarity is bound to happen once Astolfo is in the mix, even more so once Flatt comes into the picture. So, look forward to that.

And yeah, I suppose you should. Ever since I've played the game Fate/Extra, I've always wondered what it would be like if Arturia is the one who fought Gawain instead of Nero. Also, I didn't like how he called Nero "Whore of Babylon", so I'm still pissed at him for that. I like Nero. You don't call a potential wifey that word or any woman for that matter!

So, his fate in this story is like a stab in the back for his insult at Nero.

Don't get me wrong, I still like Gawain because he is damn loyal. But just remembering his insult to Nero (who looks a lot like Arturia, mind you) still pisses me off. You would think that the guy would at least have some respect and fondness when he saw Nero, but no, he just straight insulted adorable Nero like that.

So, what better way to make him face the source of his guilt and fears but in this manner? Mwuahahahaha! :D

And yes, there will be more flashbacks in the upcoming chapters. I've decided to go along that route so as to not slow down the pacing of the story. Making the MC go through all of that, starting from learning Magecraft at a young age then going to the war takes time, too much time in my opinion.

It's better to just include flashback to mix things up in the story. It's more fun that way! :D

...

**Dxhologram:**

**A** \- Yes, for Hadrian's case, the lag of the soul transference from Earth and to the Moon caused him to experience a mild case of Amnesia. His memories returned to him though, slowly as the weeks goes by and the more battles Hadrian and Arturia won in the war. By the time he fought Leonardo, he got all of his memories back and then made quick but brutal work of Leo and Twice.

Yes, Arturia and Hadrian are like two sides of the same coin. Two people with similar circumstances, but chose different paths and decisions in life.

Interesting, no? It's I made this story, after all! ;)

I've always been bothered as to why Arturia would suppress her emotions like that. I mean, sure, I understand if it was to handle her emotions better and make her rule the kingdom better since her era was dark times in mankind's history. But I don't understand why she would completely cut herself off from her emotions.

In my opinion, the moment you do that, you can no longer be called a human. In Nasuverse, I think they said that that's how a God would behave or something.

So instead suppressing his emotions, Hadrian preferred to remain the way he is, and accepted all of his flaws, including his negative emotions. For him, there's nothing wrong with showing compassion to others because it reminds him of his humanity, to be a good person first before being a King, and it's also because it's what he wants to do. To help people, that is.

He's a responsible person, a kind King who cares about the well-being of his people than his own health.

And like I said to Gen2324, Gawain's fate in this story is like a stab in the back for his insult at Nero.

Being a chaotic author aside, don't you think it's more interesting that way?

Two knights, who were once allies in the past, suddenly met on the battlefield that can only have one winner.

Also, I'm glad you guys are like Charles. I was worried that you guys wouldn't even know about him since he's new around the Fate verse. Glad to see that you are welcoming him with open arms. As for him being summoned as Hadrian's Servant, there's a reason for that, actually. But you guys will find out about soon enough, I'm sure.

For the meantime, just watch as Charles walk on eggshells around his Master for teasing him too much! XD

...

**Guest:**

**Was kinda hoping to see some epic battles from the King of Lucis along with his charisma that even his servant can see that he is like that of a king despite being a human and not a heroic spirit.**

** Speaking of which what would he be like if he were a Servant. Is his class going to be like that of Savior or Ruler?**

**A** \- You asked for it, dear reader, now you're gonna get it! :D

Also, I think I answered your question before, he's qualified for both, but I don't really see him becoming a Servant. Not at all with the way the plot of this story is going.

...

**Oran:**

**Is Hadrian capable of fighting a Servant?**

**A** \- Yes, and you are going to find in this chapter. Hope you guys like it! :D

...

**Shiroyasha Rises**:

**A** \- I'm glad that you are liking the story so far. And yes, Zelretch will have some influence over the MC's behavior, but only just a tad. If he does decides to prank someone, then it'll be for the sake of punishing that person. You can't be around the Wizard Marshall without some of his mischievous side rubbing off on ya! :D

...

**Kensei-1085:**

**A** \- Glad you like it, buddy! :D

And the plane was only about to land in an hour. The interactions are fast in the chapter. The only reason why the chapter was long was because Charlie was recalling some events in his mind, and when you think, it often requires some time. Hence, the reason why it's long. It's not instant when a character begins to think about things, you know.

As for your questions, no. The events of Fate/Extella and Link has not happened... yet. In this story, the plot of Fate/Extra is only thing that happened. The events of the sequel might come, but the only one I can imagine happening soon is Fate/Extella, really. I'm more familiar with that game than Link, so I don't have the guts to include Link to the story yet.

I included Charles and the Astolfo there because I like them. I have a reason for Charles to be there, but it's nothing really that serious to affect the plot.

As for Altera... Oh, she will make an appearance alright. But, that is in the future. In the sequel of this story.

...

**Journey to the End:**

**A** \- And you're going to see a lot more in the future. It's only right that you guys see it instead of just knowing about it in context. And yes, it's bound for something special to happen between the Master and the Servant. We've all seen it coming in the Fate/Extra game, after all.

Glad to see you like Charles too. First time I saw him, I already know he's a friendly and thoughtful guy. So, I included him in the story to make him babysit the MC. Since Hadrian doesn't care about his own well-being, I'll have his Servants do it for him instead. The MC can be quite stubborn once he is set in his ways.

And glad to also see you had fun with Astolfo's part. He's playing Farma Villa with the other three servants. Mechanics of the game: is you build a farm, compete and make it prosper, then make your farm famous in the world. You also have the free option to 'accidentally' burn the farms of other players to lose some competitors.

As you've seen in the previous chapter, Astolfo became a victim of a three-way plot for the three servants. Hence, the result of his anger! XD

You guys are going to see some of them play games in the story soon as well, including Hadrian. So, look forward to that! :D

...

**Guest:**

**Romance between the king of Lucis (Hadrian) and the adorable King of Knights (Arturia)? Would not mind seeing that.**

**A** \- I'm sure you absolutely won't! XD

...

**Sera:**

**Character interactions is good, because it shows the relationship between the characters and how they connect with each other.**

** Calling it meaningless is a rather ignorant. And calling someone a fool is not nice.**

...

**Guest:**

**Please ignore the dude's complaints. Story like this needs to take their time and establish character relationships. Interactions are needed.**

**A** \- Yes, I'm glad you guys understand! :D

I'm happy to hear that you guys understand that a story like this needs time to develop properly instead of rushing it. A fellow writer of mine has also said the same thing, and even I agreed with their sentiments since, by showing you guys the MC's interactions with others, you'll see his bonds with them and relate to him, as if he's a true person! :D

As for the one who sent that review, I simply told that person that this story is not for everyone and I hope the best for them to find a story that fits their taste more than mine can.

Whatever that is, and good luck to them in finding such a thing. I also don't blame them for being confused about how the story is going. I even sent that person a PM with a detailed explanation of the previous chapter, but I'm not holding my breath that that person would continue in reading this story after that particular review.

Also, based on that person's review, I think that person prefers a more fast paced story than a slow one like mine, which I can understand why it would frustrate them, but I'm not going to change how I pace my story simply because of what they want.

Actually, I'm more confused as to why that person doesn't understand the story, yet most of you do. Perhaps that person is just not that familiar with the Fate verse. Well, that is something that I can't help them with. If they want to understand the story better, then they must first familiarize themselves with the series. Otherwise, they really are going to get confused.

...

**Ina: So is Hadrian's charisma like an A or Ex Rank here?**

**A** \- Hahaha... uhhh... EX Rank! XD

The guy got so many people to pray for him to find peace in the afterlife, and even the gods got swept along for the ride.

How can that guy's Charisma not be more powerful than the other Kingly Heroic Spirits?

In my opinion, if the MC's charisma can even affect the gods' decision for his fate, then it's exceedingly powerful.

...

**Guest: Will Arturia have Avalon?**

**A** \- Yes, she will have it in the story. Can't separate her from Avalon, especially when it is especially useful.

...

Okay, I hope I got all of your questions answered.

Anyways, if you have any more or I missed some, feel free to leave a review and I'll take a look at it once I have the time!

...


	7. Chapter 6 — Clues (1)

...

Hello, and welcome to another chapter of '**The Prince of Magic**'! :D

As I've promised, this chapter contains a lot interactions and I suppose a glimpse of the trouble that our dear MC will be encountering soon.

There's more that I want to say, but I guess it can wait, so I'll see you guys below where I usually write my AN's.

Anyways, you guys know how this goes. ;)

Please leave a review, fave, follow, and (or) add this story in your library. Also, feel to leave a review and tell me what you think about the story so far.

Or, if you have any questions, either way is fine, and my answer your questions will be seen in the next chapter.

As for the ones who have questions in their reviews, my answers to your questions is at the very bottom of this chapter, so go there now to see if you want to know.

With that out of the way, onward with the story! :3

...

* * *

"Words"

'_Thoughts_'

"**Spells**" or "**Abilities**"

**Sound Effects**

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**Chapter 6 — Clues (1)  
**

* * *

...

After finishing his morning routine, Hadrian dressed himself in one of his usual attires.

He is wearing a simple and modern black leather jacket with a gray thin hoodie beneath, and a white long-sleeve shirt for his upper body. Below, he is wearing a black low-fitting jeans, and black and white sneakers. He also wore several accessories, such as four rings, an earring pierced on his left ear, and the special glasses that a certain female Magus gave him.

Even though it was still early, Hadrian often liked to be ready since he has intention of going outside and walk around the city later on.

When he exited the bathroom/dressing room, Hadrian saw that Arturia was waking up.

The blonde haired girl slowly sat up from the bed, still managing to look quite beautiful and elegant as she so.

Fortunately for him, the sheets covered her upper body from his view, which made him sigh in relief inside.

Her shoulders are still bared and clear to see, but at least the sheets covered her front from the neck up.

"Hadrian?" Arturia asked, voice slightly rasped from sleep.

"Yes, it's me." Hadrian said gently, slowly approaching the bed before he stopped at the foot.

"Good morning."

"Good morning to you as well." Arturia smiled at him.

In turn, the sight made the ends of his lips curved into a small smile.

"Would you like to join me downstairs? I'm about to call the others, so that we can all have breakfast made by the hotel."

At the mention of food, Hadrian saw the drowsiness in her emerald eyes fade away in an instant.

"Ah, then I shall prepare myself now!" She said, green eyes bright with newfound energy.

Hadrian smiled, white perfect teeth flashing and small dimples showing.

"Su —"

He didn't even get to finish his words as Arturia quickly rose from the bed and dashed inside the bathroom, not forgetting to close the door behind her. Then, he heard the sound of water running a few moments later. All of these scenes had occurred in a matter of seconds, which would not be possible if Arturia was a normal human.

Hadrian chuckled, scratching his cheek with his right index finger.

"Well, that's a servant for you." The cyan eyed Master commented.

Fou, who was sitting by the foot of the bed and watched the female Servant dashed into the bathroom, can only nod her head in agreement.

"Kyufou."

…

* * *

…

Thirty minutes later, Arturia was dressed and ready for the day.

She is wearing a white blouse with long-sleeves and a pointed collar. Around her neck was a thin blue ribbon, and around her waist was a dark blue corset. She has a pair of white fitting pants with a brown belt, and ankle-length black boots with low heels. She also tied her hair in a low ponytail. Hanging off her right arm was a dark navy coat of modern design.

Usually, Arturia would not be the type to wear some stylish apparels. She was the kind of person to wear simple clothing instead of modern trends.

But, after she came home with Hadrian and lived with his family for almost a year, his mother had taken her, and later his other female retainers, out on many shopping trips. According to his mother, Lucia had taught them about modern fashion and, as she puts it, "_how girls should take better care of themselves in this day and age_". **(1)**

Hadrian does not have the slightest clue what that meant, considering Arturia and the other girls are more than capable of handling themselves in a fight. However, he has a feeling of what she meant that day was about something else instead of what came to his mind at first.

Nevertheless, Hadrian was happy to know that the girls always enjoyed themselves on their 'girls' only trips'.

Hadrian smiled at her when she entered the dining room and joined him at the head table.

Fou was near to his plate, eating her own portion of bacon, scrambled eggs and pancakes that he cut into small pieces and served for her.

During the time Arturia was changing, Hadrian had taken the liberty to order a large feast of breakfast for the group before they arrived, making sure that there was enough for everybody to eat. Since he didn't know what everyone likes, Hadrian simply ordered the entire menu and had it all delivered promptly to the penthouse.

Hadrian closed his eyes and sighed, smiling wryly at the thought of spending quite a significant amount of money just for the group's breakfast.

'_Now who's being wasteful?_' His mind admonished.

'_Ah no, it's for a good cause. These guys got big stomachs. Can't let them go hungry, after all_…'

This was the line of thought that he tried to convince himself with, of which made his practical side only scoff but relent in the end.

While they are still Heroic Spirits, his retainers were given human bodies to fit in the world more and better hide their true nature from certain people. It was at his grandfather's insistence that they had to take such precautions, considering as there had been many gazes that were watching the family's movements, especially Hadrian's after he won the war.

The servants can still use their powers and are still in contract with him via the Moon Cell, but no magi can tell that they are Heroic Spirits by sight and magical sense alone anymore.

If anything, they would feel no different than a Magus with first class magic circuits. It helped that his retainers had taken his grandfather's advice in maintaining the illusion that they are humans by acting as humans do in public and in private, such as sleeping, eating food, and etc.

Arturia, for one, had no objections with the suggestions, especially when it comes to food.

Hadrian had a feeling it was an experience that she must have been deprived off in the past.

He was broken out of his musings when he felt someone nearby, causing him to open his eyes and look to the entrance.

Sure enough, three people entered the room and Hadrian smiled at them in greeting.

The first to enter was a young woman with long purple hair that went pass her waist.

She was tall, standing at the height of 5'7, and was absolutely stunning in every sense of the word. She has beautiful lavender eyes with peculiar pale irises that were in the shape of rectangles, which was behind a pair of round spectacles. She has a pale skin tone and a figure that is perfectly proportioned, one that men would quickly appreciate and many women would be envious of.

She has long toned legs, curvaceous hips and a large bust that can render a man speechless in awe. Her very appearance was almost a man's ideal. Her long, long lavender hair flowed down and around her in a perfectly straight river that would reached down her ankles, if not for the purple ribbon that kept it in place.

She was wearing a black polo neck top, blue jeans and black casual shoes. Like Arturia, she has a black coat draped on her arm, in the case that she wants to go outside in the city. **(2)**

This was **Rider**, one of his servants/retainers. She was also one of the people that he gets along with rather well, due to their mutual love for reading.

Even though Hadrian was already aware of her true identity, she prefers to be called by her Servant class instead of her real name, despite showing gratitude for his understanding of her situation.

The next person that came after her was another young woman.

Like the first, the second woman was extremely beautiful, and also has a perfect figure that men would find nearly ideal. Although, she was a bit smaller in height as she stands only at 5'5.

She has a long purple hair that was a shade darker and shorter in length than Rider's, reaching passed her waist. She has crimson eyes, red like blood, and a snow white skin tone that was a tad lighter in comparison to Rider's and Arturia's, but smooth and unmarred all the same.

She was wearing a dark gray dress that reached her thighs in mid-length underneath a charcoal modern coat with black glossy buttons. She also wore black leggings, and high-heel leather boots that reached her knees. The entire outfit made her stand out more in terms of modern fashion trends.

(Regardless, all of the three young women are beautiful in their own right in Hadrian's quiet opinion.)

The second young woman's name was **Scáthach**.

Unlike Arturia and the others in his group, she is not a Heroic Spirit, but she did willingly entered into a contract with him that was similar to one. A month after the war ended, Hadrian went on a short journey to test the limits of the Moon Cell after it had fused itself with his soul, accompanying him at that time was (of course) Arturia and some of his other retainers.

Eventually, Hadrian had crossed paths with Scáthach.

He helped her dealt with a problem, and she offered her services to him in return as repayment. It was an equal exchange between the two of them. Although, Hadrian didn't really accepted her offer at first, seeing as Scáthach was not exactly the type to follow orders due to her pride and noble disposition.

In his observation, Scáthach was too carefree and proud.

She was a free-spirit and an independent woman, and does not seem to be the type to serve people. Based on what he knew about her, it would probably be the other way around in her point of view, which is why Hadrian was confused as to why she seems content in following him around, no matter wherever he goes.

Hadrian had a feeling that Scáthach would even follow him in the depths of Hell if he has something to do there.

'_I just don't get her_…' He mused. '_Well, it's not like I'm complaining. Never really know when I would need her help in the future_…'

Therefore, Hadrian had settled with leaving her to make her own decisions, including in letting her to accompany him wherever he goes. She seemed to respect him more because of that, but he gets the slightest feeling that she was frustrated with him for some reason.

They still get along whenever they speak to one another, like good friends who respects each other's privacy, but the feeling was there. Sometimes, whenever she thought that he was not looking or was distracted, Hadrian would see a strange look on her face that he can't quite understand.

For example, she would be smiling pleasantly on the outside, but the subtle hint of frustration was present as well.

Via 'Empathy', Hadrian felt frustration subtly emanating from Scáthach recently whenever they talked, which made him confused and unsure in how to act around the crimson eyed woman, especially when there is only the two of them in the room.

In the end, he figured that it was something to leave alone for now.

'_It's not the right time yet_…' Hadrian sighed in his mind.

Knowing her personality, it would be in his best interest to let her raise the issue instead of him.

The third to enter the room was a man, who appeared to be in his early twenties.

He was a remarkably handsome man with quirky long hair that was combed backward in a rough fashion with a strand hanging down his face, and a pair of bright amber colored eyes that look droopy and a small beauty mark that can be spotted near the low corner of his right eye.

He has a pale skin that was a bit tanned, and stands at the height of 6 feet. He has features that are capable of sweeping a woman's heart at a single glance, especially with his high bridge nose, his valiant eyebrows, his hard cut mouth that marks him with a stoic air, and his droopy eyes that made his gaze seem more brilliant.

Said man was dressed in an all-black suit that is similar in design as Charles', but he was wearing a dark teal-colored tie and around his right wrist was a silver bracelet of elegant style.

However, if one were to observe closer and ignore his appearance, the elegant air of his beauty is somewhat unnatural. While his features can be considered handsome, little did others know was that much of it comes from his spiritual power of charming women, due to the curse of his beauty spot.

The man who entered last is one of his male Servants/retainers, and his name is Dia, also known as **Diarmuid Ua Duibhne**.

However, after having been summoned by Hadrian, the man simply referred to himself as 'Dia'.

At first, Hadrian thought that the dark haired knight would too proud and arrogant to be a proper retainer for him. But, after spending some time around the man, Hadrian found him accommodating and quite noble who only wishes to serve him as a knight to the best of his abilities.

One after another, Hadrian watched them enter the room with a smile.

The statuesque woman with long, lavender hair smiled at him beatifically once she saw him.

"Good morning, Master." Rider greeted, choosing the chair to his left, which was the direct opposite of Arturia's.

Hadrian smiled slightly.

"Good morning, Rider."

The beatific smile dropped as soon as she turned to Arturia, who was patiently waiting for the rest to come and join them in their fast.

"Good morning, **Saber**." Rider greeted her in a cold and prim tone, her voice nearly hissing and quiet.

If not for Hadrian's sensitive hearing and his seating position, he would have trouble hearing her properly.

In turn, Arturia returned the frosty greeting in kind.

"Good morning, **Rider**." Arturia respond in a cold and prim tone, her façade stoic.

Hadrian watched the two exchange their frosty greetings and sigh quietly to himself.

While their relationship was alright and stable enough for the two of them to work together without his supervision, the two would sometimes… clash for a reason that he was unaware of.

Hadrian had no idea when it had started, but if he were to guess, it would probably after a month when Hadrian came to know Rider's true identity and accepted her regardless of her past.

From their first meeting, Rider had been quite distant and almost robotic in her actions, but she was quite loyal and would never hesitate to shield him from harm. In fact, she would even stand between him and the enemy in one smooth motion before giving the offender a fearsome glare that can make a grown man whimper in fear.

After his reassurance of her secret, Rider became more open and talkative around him from then on.

It made Hadrian feel glad to see her being more open and sociable around him, but sometimes, she would differently around others, especially around Arturia. **(3)**

'_Like in this situation, for one_…' He thought as he saw the two stare each other down.

Obviously, the two seemed to be having a silent conservation with their eyes, and Hadrian was not invited nor privy to their 'talk'.

Therefore, he ignored the two women and turned his attention to the other remaining people in the room.

"Good morning, you two." Hadrian greeted them.

Dia, as per his custom, straighten his posture and bowed to him at the waist with one hand over his heart.

"A good morrow to you, my liege." The dark haired retainer smiled.

Then, he took a seat next Rider, while Scáthach turned to him with a small smile and a nod before she sat next to Arturia.

"Ah, good morning to you too, Master."

As they have all been around Hadrian for a while now, the four retainers did not touch any of the food and merely waited patiently for the others to arrive.

Although, while Hadrian was not aware of this fact, the retainers felt it would disrespectful to their liege if they were to start eating without him doing it first. Some of them suspected that it might have something to do with Hadrian's powerful charisma and presence that made them feel that way, but they were not sure.

Most of them simply followed their Master's actions and had adopted to the routine ever since, even without him telling them anything of the sort.

As they waited for the others to arrive, Hadrian broke the silence once more as he asked them all with one question.

"So…" Hadrian began with a smile, looking at the four retainers with an expectant eye. "I take it that you all had fun last night?"

At his question, the reactions from the four varied from each person.

One laughed nervously with a sheepish expression, one looked away (like a child) with a (cute) embarrassed expression on her face, and two were blushing but maintained their silence.

Dia, who laughed nervously, was the one to speak first.

"Eh… so we did."

"Oh, I bet you guys did." Hadrian affirmed with a nod, smiling relentlessly as he continued. "I had to clean up the mess that some of you had left on the floor, after all."

The topic of their conversation was about the party that his retainers have had last night.

Hadrian didn't know what happened nor did he know who actually started it, but one of his retainers brought up the word 'party' and most of them jumped on the chance to celebrate their arrival in Canada. To 'have fun and relax', as they said. Truthfully, Hadrian was not against it, seeing as they would be quite busy in the next day and he understood their desire to have a break.

But, he did not expected was for chaos to happen in the party.

Most of them had been playing console games at the beginning and they had ordered plenty of food to make the party a bit more festive, then one of them suggested a penalty for whenever someone lose in the game. But, one blur after another, it had quickly became a drinking contest after that.

What was more surprising to Hadrian is that two of his usually prim and proper servants, such as Arturia and Dia, got drunk and involved in the mess at the end.

Hadrian had expected for Charles, Astolfo and the others to fall into the chaos, but not those two.

Imagine his surprise when he came down the stairs and saw the chaos of a party that they were having last night after he had finished speaking to his grandfather about their current situation.

Before he left them to their own devices, Hadrian had seen them merely having fun and eating the food that he ordered from the hotel's restaurant. When he returned after an hour, Hadrian was shocked to find the room was in a messy state. It was as if someone had a party and a food fight at the same time.

Some of the glass windows were broken, and had smeared food and wine. The floor has small puddles of water, soda and wine staining them. Some of the walls were broken, and even the chandelier hanging in the center of the room was not safe as it was barely holding on for its dear life.

As for his servants…

Hadrian sighed, recalling how the retainers looked last night.

Charles, Astolfo and the others were already flushed, obviously drunk and gibbering nonsense as they went wild around the room.

Arturia and Dia were lying on separate couches, also looking flushed and passed out drunk.

Rider was asleep near the couch where Arturia was sleeping. Unlike the two, she only looked a bit flush and seemed to be resting contently as she unconsciously hugged the bottle of sake into her well-endowed bosom like a precious babe. Hadrian remembered that the bottle was the same one he bought for her last month, and it was not a cheap sake either.

Next to Rider was Scáthach, who looked quite content and relaxed than all of them combine. She too had a bottle of alcohol hugged into her equally well-endowed breasts, but the bottle was more of an intricate design and contains the divine wine that he also gave to her after he found it in the hero-king's treasury a few months ago.

Needless to say, being the responsible one in the group, Hadrian had spent quite a bit of time in cleaning up their mess.

He had to use one of his spells to repair the damages that they had done in the lounge. He cleaned up their mess in an hour, and spent another half in taking each of them in their respective rooms to sleep properly. After that, he spent thirty minutes in double-checking if there any damages or smeared food that he had missed.

Fortunately, there was no more, and Hadrian had spent the remaining evening in continuing his research with Fou as his company before cleaning himself and going to sleep. **(4)**

Hadrian sighed again, well aware of the four retainers' eyes set on him before he opened his eyes to look at them.

"Really, I expected this thing to happen with Charles and the others, but even you four?" Hadrian said in a weary tone, watching the four appear sheepish at his words.

"Apologies, my lord." Dia began, looking down at his plate since he couldn't look at his liege in the eye. "I had been swept by the festivities with the others."

"I as well." Arturia agreed quietly, a blush on her typically pale cheeks.

Rider remained silent, but she too agreed with the two knights' words as she nodded.

"In fairness, Charles and the others were the ones that started it." Scáthach muttered weakly, not being convincing as she looked away to stare out the window with a light blush on her cheeks.

"And to be fair, I expected either one of you four to stop them. So, why didn't any of you do it?" Hadrian smiled, then it dropped as a flat expression took over.

"Oh wait, you're all passed out. Did it not occur to any of you that you might not be able to handle too much alcohol you are used to than before? Mind you, the bodies you are inhabiting are closer to a human's, which will make you more likely to get drunk easily."

Seeing Dia, Arturia and Rider looking properly chastised, Hadrian then turned Scáthach, who was about to speak up but was surprised to find him look at her.

"Now, I understand these three, but you passed out as well, Scáthach, despite having a real body. I take it that the divine wine is too much for your tolerance to endure."

For her part, Scáthach continued to stare out at the window as if there was something interesting there, but the blush on her cheeks brightened.

"Apologies, Master…" The three muttered in unison, all gazes down at their respective plates.

After staring at them for a minute, which seemed to be enough to punish them, Hadrian relented and leaned back into his chair with a huff.

"Well, next time, try to tone down the enthusiasm. It's fine to celebrate every once in a while, but not often in times such as this." He advised them as he looked down on his empty plate. "Like I have said before to Charles, we are not here for fun."

Seeing them respond with either a nod or with words of "yes" and "okay", Hadrian turned his attention elsewhere as he noticed the small figure on Rider's left shoulder.

It was a tiny creature with a round form, and has a small pure white fur that covered its entire body.

In the far distance, one would be reminded of a soft, white round bun by simply looking at the small creature. It was only due to its bright blue orbs for eyes, its small mouth, the long white tail and its two white feathery wings that one can tell that it is a creature, despite its strange appearance.

Upon closer observation, one can find four stubby little appendages with the front of which he form little 'fingers' with, and on top of its head (?) were two triangular furry ears that looks similar to a cat's. On where its forehead would be, there was a tiny round diamond above and in between its eyes, and there are two small fangs peeking at the edge of its upper lips.

This was Ryu, one of his familiars. **(5)**

'_Well… technically counted as a Familiar_.' Hadrian corrected himself.

Ryu is a special case amongst his familiars.

What makes Ryu different is that it does not have a gender (but Hadrian likes to call Ryu a 'he' nonetheless), possess magical abilities that can put most Magi to shame, and also had an original owner before he met Hadrian. Ryu was given to Hadrian as his twelfth birthday gift by his father, who had also received Ryu as a gift from his deceased brother, **Mathius von Aelfryth**.

According to his father, Ryu is a living breathing Mystic Code that was created by his late uncle.

Thus, it did not really surprised Hadrian when he became aware of Ryu's true nature and capabilities.

Also, while Ryu's appearance was extremely cute, he is not without peculiarities of his own.

Should people carelessly stretch out their hands, Ryu would suddenly open his mouth and snap at a person with the fangs growing closely packed within. Having said that, Ryu's personality is actually cheerful and very innocent, so whenever he does such a thing, it was not done out of malice but mere curiosity.

It would be similar as to how a shark would open its mouth in curiosity and bite if there was something in front of their face.

As Ryu's owner, Hadrian had never been a victim of his quirks, along with a select few of others, including Rider in that aspect.

But, most of the people around him were not so fortunate.

He had seen a fair number of people nearly get bitten by Ryu for carelessly stretching out their hands to pet him. There were even some who did, and one of them being was his friend, **Flatt Escardos**. The scream that Flatt had let out that day echoed throughout the whole building of where Lord El-Melloi II's private office was located.

It was so loud that he would not find it surprising if Flat's scream that day had woken up the dead.

Hadrian smiled at the sight of his little round familiar.

"There you are, Ryu."

Noticing his master's attention on him, Ryu let out an excitable sound and flew straight to him from Rider's shoulder.

"Kyu!"

Hadrian laughed as the round familiar hugged his face with its round form, cuddling him.

"Hmm, I've been wondering where you had been. I take it that you were accompanying Rider?" He asked gently, holding Ryu in his hands with care.

"Kyuyu!" Ryu said in happiness and agreement, bouncing a little on his owner's palms.

"Ah, I see." Hadrian smiled, then glanced at Rider briefly.

Seemingly cheered up, Rider watched as the familiar and owner interact with a small smile on her lips, which widen as their gazes met for a moment.

Amused by the sight, Hadrian returned his attention to the excitable familiar.

"Good boy."

After patting Ryu's head and let him return to Rider, Hadrian looked around the room with a small frown.

"It has been a few minutes now and those five have yet to show up." Hadrian said as he glanced at his gold watch (a gift from his mother).

Seeing an opportunity to be of use to his liege, Dia spoke up, gaining Hadrian's attention.

"If you wish, I can fetch them, my lord." Dia volunteered, leaning to the table to look at his liege properly.

Hadrian was about to accept his offer when he sensed five people nearby, causing him to frown in thought.

"Thank you, Dia, but I don't think you need to do that." Hadrian said with a sigh. "The troublesome five are here."

Almost immediately after he said it, the Master and the four retainers heard the sounds of footsteps and five people talking outside the dining room.

The occupants inside the room became silent as they listened into the conversation with their enhanced hearing.

"Ugh… my head…" The first male voice said lowly in a pained voice.

"You're not the only one there… Mine feels like it's about to split." A second male voice said.

"Man, that wine that Master brought out was soooo good, but the hangover is really vengeful." A third male voice, Astolfo, said loudly.

"Agreed, it tasted awesome, but the hangover ain't so awesome." A fourth male voice, Charles, said with a sigh.

"Hm, really? I feel fine compared to you guys. It's probably because you all drank too much of that wine. That wine can pack quite a punch with its hangover, especially to normal humans." A fifth male voice said in an easy going tone with a laugh at the end.

"Tsk, Master is the one at fault here!" The first voice said with faux annoyance.

"Ha ha ha, true, but he ain't the one who told us to drink the wine down to its last drop, you know?" The fifth male voice reminded.

"Oh yeah! Didn't Master told us to drink it slowly? Why didn't we do that?" Astolfo asked.

"More like, why did we forget it in the first place?" Charles asked with a groan.

"That was your fault, pinky! Weren't you the one who said that whoever lost the most will have to drink until they drop?" The first male voice accused.

"Yeah, and weren't you the one who proposed the idea to drink all the alcohol and leave the divine wine for last?" The second male voice added.

"Like any of you got the right to talk! I only did that to make the game interesting. It's supposed to be a party, not a boring one!" Astolfo reasoned loudly.

"Well it happened anyways, so there's really no point in arguing about this…" The second said wearily.

"In agreement to that!" The fifth said in a cheerful voice.

"Yes, there's something more important to address at hand…" Charles started.

"Which is?" Three people asked in unison.

"Astolfo!" Charles shouted suddenly.

"What's up?" Astolfo asked, sounding unperturbed as he seems cheerful as always.

"Don't you 'what's up' me! You are one of the Holy Paladins, so why are you wearing those girly clothes again! Daddy is so disappointed in you, I could cry!" Charles scolded.

"You're not my dad! Besides, I have a super-good reason for dressing up like a girl!" Astolfo retorted. **(6)**

…

Inside the dining room, Hadrian heard Arturia made an idle comment.

"Those two are… intense, as always." She muttered unsurely.

…

"Argh! Shut up you two! Your shouting is making my headache feel worse." The first voice complained.

"Uh, guys, I think we have a more serious problem in our hands." The second began, nervous.

"And what is that now?" The first asked, disgruntled.

"It's Master. I think he was the one who cleaned up our mess last night. We just passed by the lounge and not a speck of dust or mess are in there." The second answered, apprehensive.

"Uuhh… now that you mentioned it, the broken stuff looks brand new too." Charles said, dread clear in his voice.

"Hmm, I also remembered Master bringing each of us back in our rooms." The fifth added, sounding thoughtful.

"… Are we in trouble? Cause I feel like we're about to be." Astolfo asked with a bit of nervous laughter.

"Okaaaay, guys! I'm gonna go last, you four can take the first step into that room. I'm fine being the last one to enter." Charles announced brightly.

"Huh?!" Astolfo shouted, sounding betrayed.

"What?!" The second asked in shock.

"Oi!" The first yelled indignantly.

"Whaddya mean 'what?' I already felt the full brunt of Master's glare yesterday, which ain't awesome, by the way! Now it's your turn, you bastards!" Charles retorted, also indignant.

"This is revenge from yesterday, isn't it?!" The first voice shouted.

"He he he, payback sure is awesome!" Charles ended with a weird laugh.

If Hadrian can see him now, he knew that the black and white haired retainer would be wearing a cheeky grin.

"Umm, I don't think I want to deal with that right now. Master's glare is scary. I mean, he's beautiful and alluring to look at, but really terrifying." Astolfo commented.

"… I don't know what's in that empty head of yours, pinky, but yes, Master's glare is terrifying." The second agreed in a deadpan tone.

"Ano, should we really be having this conversation right now?" The fifth male voice asked unsurely.

But, he was ignored as the others talked over him in favor to the subject of their conversation: their Master.

"True, true. Master's glare is quite something to behold, especially up close and personal. I thought I was going to piss myself yesterday when he glared at me." Charles agreed sagely with a nod.

"Yeah, and when Master does that thing where his eyes change color and squint them like this." Astolfo added cheerfully.

It did not took a genius to guess that the pink haired servant was demonstrating what he said just now outside the room.

As for the subject of their gossip, the four retainers inside stared at Hadrian, who suddenly went quiet as they listened to the five troublemakers outside talk about him without any filter.

Through the Servant and Master bond, the four can tell that Hadrian was irritated, despite his calm and stoic façade.

What they did not know was that Hadrian is irritated because the five were making the food he ordered go cold the longer they are outside, not because they were gossiping about him. **(7)**

Their attention however, was forced to return to the five troublemakers as their talk seemed to have taken a different turn.

"Still, I bet the girls would love to see that anyways." The first voice commented offhandedly with a grunt.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Charles asked curiously.

"Oh, I know what he's talking about!" Astolfo said in excitement, sounding giddy by the turn of their gossip.

"Ah, c'mon, Charles, I'm sure even you wouldn't be that obtuse. Those girls are thirsty for —"

*** Whoosh ***

In three milliseconds, five crimson spears with thorn-like designs suddenly appeared three feet above Scáthach's head, and shot itself like strong arrows in the air to the one spot (near the dining room's entrance) that she was glaring at with her narrowed crimson eyes.

Idly, Hadrian took note that her gaze seemed to have went pass below the waist of an average person.

One after another, Hadrian watched in curiosity as the spears zoomed pass and buried themselves into the wall so deep that half of its length was on the other side. The sounds of the spears piercing the wall worked in tandem like rapid noises made from a loud instrument.

As he expected, shouts of surprise and shock came from the other side of the room as soon as the spears had pierced through.

Hadrian figured that someone probably fell down as well, based on the sounds he heard and sensed.

"Hiiii!" The first voice and Charles cried out in unison.

Although, the fear and shock in Charles's voice was more clear to be heard.

"What in the hell?!" The second cursed in bewilderment.

"Whoa!" Astolfo said in surprise.

Then, a second later…

"Ha ha ha!" The fifth male voice laughed. "Honestly, I kind of saw that coming."

Footsteps were soon heard, then someone pulled a spear from the other side and a bright amber eye was seen peeking through the hole.

Said owner of the amber eye landed on a smug-looking Scáthach, who met his gaze confidently.

"Hey! Crazy woman, watch it!" The first voice shouted. "You almost killed some of us in the most horrible way possible, you know!"

"Well, it's quite rude to gossip behind someone's back, you know." Scáthach returned calmly, smiling with obvious satisfaction.

"I would have prefer if you used the real thing." Rider commented, looking nonchalant as she leaned back in the chair. "Better to lessen the bad influences around Master that way."

"Hmm, perhaps next time, I will." Scáthach hummed thoughtfully.

"You bitches, I heard that!" The person behind the wall yelled out in anger.

"Stop peeking through that wall like a weirdo and just get in here already." Hadrian cut in, looking a bit annoyed.

…

* * *

…

After an hour of eating breakfast and cleaning the dishes, they all adjourned to the lounge where Hadrian intends to discuss the plan for the day.

Like in every other room of the penthouse, the lounge area was also lavishly furnished.

Blue and white walls, a blue velvet carpet covered the white marbled floor, a U shaped sectional black sofa in the center and a black tuxedo couch at the middle of the gap, a flat screen 50' inches TV placed by the wall, and a glass coffee table in the center of the seats. Hanging directly above the coffee table was a small chandelier, and art paintings hung on a few walls.

With Hadrian sitting alone on the tuxedo couch, the others took their seats on the sectional sofa.

Dia was standing on Hadrian's left side, while Charles, who is dressed in his usual suit, stood on his right.

Both the male knights in question were smiling as they stood on either of his sides, as per their usual habit.

On the right side of the couch, there was Scáthach, Rider, and Arturia, who sat the closest to Hadrian.

On the left was Astolfo and his three retainers that had joined him on this case.

The one seated next to Astolfo's left is a man in his early twenties, who goes by the name of **Arash**.

He has a short black hair and dark brown eyes. He is 6 feet tall, has a light brown skin, and a muscular physique fit for combat. He was dressed in a cyan hoodie with the zipper opened, a black V-neck T-shirt, black jeans, and brown shoes. His features bears similarities to people with West Asian descent.

What stood about him the most were his dark brown eyes that radiated lively energy and positivity.

Next to him is another man in his early twenties and is of Chinese descent, whose name is **Yan Qing**.

Unlike Arash, Yan has a lighter skin tone, a lean but muscular physique, and is 5'6 feet tall, which makes him in equal height with Hadrian.

He has a long black hair that was tied into a low ponytail and extends pass his waist, and a pair of light yellow eyes. He has a young and comely features, and has a lot of colored tattoos that can be seen all across his upper body and arms. But, due to his clothes covering them, most of the tattoos remain hidden from plain sight.

Also, unlike his fellow retainers, Yan has foregone with the suit and settled for a set of custom clothing instead.

He is wearing a white classic shirt with a mandarin collar and long sleeves that was folded neatly up to his elbows halfway, a long Chinese tang jacket made of black linen, black tai chi pants and a pair of black tai chi shoes. On his left wrist was red braided band, and there is another of similar design around his neck, but is worn as a necklace instead.

And sitting at the end of their side was a young man of similar height with Yan Qing, but younger in terms of appearance.

He has a short dark brown hair, and dark amber eyes. He has a lean yet muscular built, and a somewhat comely features.

Like Charles and Dia, he is wearing an all-black suit, but less prim in appearance. His black tie was inside the coat's right breast pocket, his blazer was opened, the top three buttons of his shirt was left unbuttoned, and the sleeves of his blazer and shirt was up to his elbows. Also, there is a thin red cloth wrapped around his right wrist as an accessory.

Overall, he looks like a young delinquent still in high school.

The way he sat lazily, leaning against the arm of the couch, and the boredom in his amber colored eyes was clear for everyone to see.

This was **Kieran**, one of his retainers with a unique case in his group, and the third servant Hadrian made a contract with. **(8)**

Unlike the rest of his Servants, he did not have a true name, so Hadrian gave him a new one instead, which is 'Kieran'.

Also, Hadrian did not summoned him via the Moon Cell.

Instead, he found him by chance when he was investigating a certain past incident, and had even considered killing him the first time they met after he discovered Kieran's true identity.

One thing led to another, and Hadrian had decided to give him a place among his retainers. His decision was questioned by nearly everyone, even his grandfather had asked him to reconsider as they deemed Kieran to be a threat due to his past, but Hadrian has no intention of changing his mind.

What he did promised to them was that he will be the one to 'take care' of Kieran should it ever comes down to that.

But, in all honesty, Hadrian felt no motivation to follow through that promise after being around Kieran these past several months.

Hadrian and Kieran had a private conversation before, in which Hadrian realized what exactly Kieran wants in his life.

'_To live freely_…' was what Kieran told him before.

Knowing of his past, Hadrian knew that Kieran was telling the truth, and he did not need the Moon Cell to confirm it.

However, his grandfather's warning about rogue servant was also true, and Hadrian cannot take that risk, despite the chances of it happening were slim.

Kieran might not have a desire to wreak havoc upon the world, but it doesn't mean that there won't be others who will try to use him for their own gain.

Thus, Hadrian offered him a place in his group.

Of course, Kieran was wary of him at first, but after Hadrian explained his intention and the benefits of being his retainer, he accepted his offer in the end.

It helped that Hadrian assisted him with his issues and made a promise to let Kieran do as he please for as long he behaves while under his employment.

Since then, Kieran had been on Hadrian's side, though their bond is more akin to close brothers than a Master and Servant most of the time.

'_Speaking of which_…' Hadrian thought as he looked at Kieran.

While the retainer looked relaxed and lazy as he sat on the other end of the couch, Kieran would send a glare at Rider and Scáthach every now and then, which was quite telling that he had not yet forgiven nor forgotten what the two had said and done earlier.

For their part, Rider and Scáthach appeared amused and uncaring of his glares, ignoring him even as they turned their attention to Hadrian instead.

As for Kieran and the four who arrived late, Hadrian had intended to punish them before, but he figured what they had experienced outside the dining room was enough.

Based on what Kieran and the others were saying before, the sharp tips of the spears had almost skewered them below the belt, nearly grazing their private parts in the process, which Hadrian could not really blame them for feeling annoyed by Scáthach's 'fatal attack'.

It was only thanks to the sturdy wall that the spears had lost its momentum by the time they had pierced through. Also, Hadrian had a feeling Scáthach may have held back in shooting the spears via levitation spell.

Still, getting skewered via below the belt was a bit too much even in Hadrian's opinion.

In all honesty, he was only glad that Scáthach used non-cursed spears instead of the real Gae Bolg.

Else, Hadrian would have lost five retainers in one day because of an irritated Divine Spirit, who also happens to be his retainer.

With a huff, Hadrian began the discussion.

"Okay, now that everyone is here, we can talk about the plans for today." Hadrian announced.

He crossed his legs and leaned back into the couch, making himself comfortable as he waved his right hand before using it to support his head.

Through an amazing display of holographic magic, Hadrian made a detailed map of the city via the Moon Cell that he settled upon the coffee table.

Every location in the city, the name of the shops, building, streets and more are on clear display, including the movements of locals currently walking about in present time.

With the Moon Cell, magically conjuring a real-time holographic map of the city with a wave of his hand was easy as breathing for Hadrian. **(9)**

It was one of the tricks that he uncovered by chance after the Moon Cell had fused itself with his soul.

His 'private trips' on the moon several months ago were paying off.

However, most of the names disappeared as he discarded them and only a few were left on display.

The ones in particular are the specific locations related to the murder cases.

"As you all know, our scheduled meeting with the source is still tomorrow. But, today, we have another important matter to attend, and that is to look into these locations that the High Council has asked of me to double-check. Since these areas are too far apart for me to look into, I have decided to split the group into three. First, Rider and Scáthach will both go together and cover this area. Arash, Dia, and Yan will go here. And Arturia, Charles, Astolfo and Kieran will go with me in here."

As he spoke, Hadrian made sure to point out the locations of interest to each group, and the sections they are assigned to investigate.

The Master looked up from the hologram and to his retainers, who were paying his words with their undivided attention.

All of his retainers are wearing solemn expressions, which made Hadrian relieved that they were taking the situation seriously.

Although, he raised an eyebrow at Astolfo, who was staring at the holographic map with an unusual intensity in his purple eyes.

Said pink-haired retainer was wearing a pink shirt with short-sleeves that seems a bit large for his size and tucked in at the front, black hot-pants with a brown belt with a bronze buckle, gray socks, and a pair of pink and white high-top shoes with purple laces. He is also wearing a silver wristwatch, a purple necklace with a gold pendant, and a pink cap that is turned backwards.

Astolfo's overall outfit was really girlish, and it was (probably) the source of Charles's disappointment by the despondent look on the latter's comely face.

But, it is the unusually serious expression on Astolfo's face that surprised Hadrian, seeing as he rarely takes anything seriously in his entire life.

While taken aback inside, Hadrian did not let it show on his calm façade. He simply nodded to himself and continued on.

"Now, as for our goal in this plan, it would be to find anything that was overlooked by the other groups that investigated these areas before."

Some of his retainers perked up from his statement, but it was Charles who asked the question that was in their minds.

"What do you mean by that, Master?" Charles inquired curiously.

Turning his head slightly to the right, Hadrian answered him.

"It is exactly what I said." Hadrian returned his gaze upon the map. "The ones that tried to investigate these locations came up with results that the High Council viewed… unsatisfactory."

His lips thinned as he crossed his arms over his chest, brows knitting slightly in thought.

"Lehrer Melloi was supposed to be the one to come here, but since he was occupied with another task, the case was handed over to me instead. Even though I was his student only for a year, they have deemed my skills enough to act as a proper substitute for him."

Hadrian smiled faintly.

Even to this day, he found the idea of how the High Council sees him and their expectations uncomfortable.

"Since the meeting is still tomorrow, consider this one as a side-mission that we might as well finish today. All of you have your own methods with investigating, so I'm sure you guys will do just fine. If, however, you encountered something and you're unsure in how to handle it, then don't hesitate to ask the others of their opinion."

Hadrian blinked as he remembered something important.

"Oh, and don't let any humans see you entering these areas. Even though they have been cleaned, the government have restricted the public entrance to any of them for the time being. So, enter the areas in your astral forms and use a bound field around the perimeter if you must."

Yan scratched his head, looking a bit confused.

"Eh, Master, why the extra caution? Won't our astral forms be enough?" Yan Qing asked.

"It's enough, but sometimes, not everything will go the way you expect it to." Hadrian answered. "I learned my lesson in the war, so who knows what might happen once we venture into these areas. A fight might even break out and I don't wish the humans to be involved if it does happen."

By this admission, most of the retainers perked up in attention, making Hadrian sigh when he saw the hint of excitement in their eyes at the possibility of a battle.

Noticing his odd statement, Dia made a decision to ask his liege.

"Um, my lord, why do you expect a fight to break out if this is just a simple re-checking of the areas?"

Hadrian hummed in thought.

"Like I said, you never really know what might happen." Hadrian smiled disarmingly, making him more alluring to look at.

Charles and his retainers, who were a bit naïve, didn't noticed the hidden meaning behind his words.

But, some of the more observant ones understood, causing them to exchange brief knowing glances at one another.

"Before we set off…" Hadrian trailed off, taking something out of his jacket's right pocket before he turned to one of his retainers. "Here, Arash, catch."

He tossed a small device to a surprised-looking Arash, who snatched the item with one hand.

Together, Arash and the others looked at the object in his open palm.

The item was small and thin, about two inches in height and one centimeters in width. It has a cylindrical form made out of aluminum metal, and a button on one end.

When Arash turned it over on one side, there was a small bar in a bright green color located beneath the second button.

Ever the curious one in the group, Charles asked.

"Master, what's that?"

"It's the new device I made a week ago. It's magical, of course, and I call it the '**Finis**', which means barrier in English." Hadrian announced with a grin.

Noticing the looks of curiosity and wonder, Hadrian explained.

"True to its name, that tiny metal can automatically deploy a powerful bounded field that can cover two football fields in 5 seconds. It will quickly prevent any humans from entering as long as the field is active, so you won't need to worry about needless casualties."

"I see..." Scáthach mused aloud, one finger on her chin before she asked. "But what if there are some that can enter the bounded field? What then?"

"Then, those are Magi." Hadrian answered with a small smile, as if he was expected the question.

"The 'Finis' has a sensory ability that can discern a normal human from a Magus, depending on its calculations on the quantity of magic circuits. In case you are not aware, there is a difference between the magic circuits of the two. A human's circuits is weak, almost miniscule in number and greatly lacking in quality. In other words, it is almost non-existent, but it is there anyways since it is a part of their souls. This fact applies to all living things. Otherwise, Servants in the past grail wars wouldn't think of using humans as an alternative source of magical energy."

Hadrian smiled faintly at the stoic and uncomfortable looks on the retainers' faces, but he pushed on regardless.

"Whereas the magic circuits of an average Magus, it is more clear and vibrant in color. If I were to make a comparison, it would be the same as holding two light bulbs with two different brightness. The first is more dimly lit, while the other is several times brighter. Following me so far?"

Amused, Hadrian smiled when Charles and the others nodded before he continued.

"I designed the 'Finis' to only prevent ordinary humans from entering the bounded field, not the Magi. Therefore, anyone who can enter the Bounded Field is seen as a Magus or more. So, make no mistake, if you happen to encounter one later, try to confirm if they are friendly or an enemy first. If it's the first, ask for their identity, their affiliation and their division. If they are not, then don't hesitate to do what is necessary and find out their reason for being there by force if you must."

"Got it, Boss." Yan Qing said with a smirk and a jaunty wave.

"Understood." Dia said with a slight nod of his head.

"Gotcha, Master." Charles and Arash said in unison, grinning.

Similarly, the others also voiced their agreement either with words or a nod.

Satisfied, Hadrian moved on with his explanation.

"Now, if you do happen to encounter a normal human inside the bounded field by chance, then use the '**Neurolyzer**' of the 'Finis'. Arash, swipe your thumb on the flat surface of the other end."

Right after he said it, Arash did as he instructed and the device extended a little, showing a large lens and a button behind it.

The retainers turned back to Hadrian, who quickly explained the hidden feature of his new invention.

"The 'Neurolyzer' effect can make a person forget what they had seen in a single flash. Right now, since it is still in its experimental phase, I had set the time to only a few hours, which is perfect for our excursion today. So, just make sure the target's gaze is meeting the lens pointedly and press on the button once. Remember, only press on the button once, not twice. Otherwise, you'll cause the target to get a rare case of brain damage if you do it by accident. Also, don't look directly as the flash turns on, or you might be affected by it as well."

"Okay, just one press and don't look. Got it, Master." Arash affirmed with a nod, taking his warning to heart.

As for the rest, they stared at their Master in wonder and amazement.

Arturia in particular, looked upon Hadrian with soft fondness in her emerald eyes and a gentle smile.

"To create something like this. Boss, you sure are amazing." Yan commented, looking impressed.

"Indeed." Scáthach added, eyes closed and smiling in satisfaction. "What you have made can save a lot of humans from being killed by most Magi."

"Honestly, I was just tired of hypnotizing or erasing the memories of the witnesses to avoid a casualty, so I made that thing instead." Hadrian said calmly, deflecting the compliments with ease.

And it was true.

In the past, if there were normal humans that saw him doing Magecraft, Hadrian would be forced to resort to either hypnotize or erase the witness's memory of the recent incident.

With his wealth of experience and knowledge in magic, both options were not exactly difficult to do. But sometimes, he would have a group of witnesses and will have to go through the trouble of doing either choices one by one, which can take quite some time in his opinion.

In his belief, killing a witness of Magecraft should only be the last resort, which he was fortunate to have never done before in this life.

Eventually, Hadrian made a quick decision to make the 'Finis', and the rest was history. **(10)**

"Regardless, Master, it remains an impressive feat even amongst the Magi." Rider smiled at him.

Hearing a rare compliment from the usually stoic Rider, Hadrian was a bit caught off guard and he felt his cheeks redden a little.

In a second, Hadrian recovered from his embarrassment and was about to speak again when Charles beat him to it.

"Neurolyzer. Hm, I've heard of that before…" Charles said aloud, then turned to his liege with a cheeky smile.

Sensing a sort of déjà vu, Hadrian schooled his face into a stoic and kingly demeanor as he looked at Charles.

"Master, isn't that from a movie?" Charles asked in a teasing tone. "About people who are dressed in black."

Amused by the revelation, the retainers turned to observe Hadrian with small smiles on their faces.

In his case, Hadrian stilled and looked away to the window, as if suddenly finding it interesting.

"… No?" Hadrian said casually after a moment of silence.

'_So obvious_…' was all the retainers thought.

Fortunately for him, they remained silent and looked upon him fondly, as if used to his behavior.

Feeling a bit awkward by their stares, Hadrian coughed into his hand and composed himself after making a promise to punish Charles later on.

"Anyways, it would be best for us to get moving while it is still early." Hadrian stated calmly, his regal demeanor returning.

With a wave of his hand, the holographic map of the city vanished into particles of light before fading completely.

But, before Hadrian could rise from the sofa, Astolfo surprised him when he spoke in a solemn tone with an equally serious expression.

"Master, might I request something of you?" Astolfo asked, taking nearly everyone by surprise.

Blinking, Hadrian can only give his consent with a nod as he wondered what caused the usually carefree servant to be so serious.

"What is it, pinky?" Kieran asked with a raised brow.

Contrary to what they were expecting, Astolfo pulled out a magazine from behind his pocket and showed him one of its pages.

As he did so, Astolfo's solemn expression quickly turned that of a child begging for his parent to buy him something he wants badly.

"Can we please go to this coffee shop? I heard they put cute artsy stuff on their food there!" Astolfo begged, purple eyes glistening with little tears for effect.

"…"

The silence could not be more pronounced as the other retainers stared at the pink-haired servant with deadpan expressions.

To his credit, Astolfo remained unmoved and only focused on his master's response, who looked torn with indecision.

Recognizing the intense focus in his eyes, Hadrian knew he has to give him an answer.

Otherwise, the pink-haired retainer would be sulking all throughout their 'trip' in the city if his harmless request was denied.

"You want to… make a detour?" Hadrian asked unsurely.

"Yes…"

"Is it close to where we are going?"

"Yes! I checked the map you displayed here earlier."

'_So that's why he was so focused earlier_…' Hadrian mused wryly.

"… Okay."

"Yahooo!" Astolfo whooped in excitement.

Hadrian sighed as he and the others watched an elated Astolfo fist-pump the air, who looked quite pleased with himself.

…

* * *

**Author's Note**

* * *

…

Okay, that's another chapter done! :D

Hope you guys enjoyed this one as well, caused it took me a while to compile it all together.

I'm well aware that I have not updated for a while, and I'm really sorry for that, but that is due to my real life business.

Had to help my mother in babysitting my brother's kids due to an emergency. My nephew, who is three years old, had to be taken to the hospital to get his lungs cleared out of phlegm that accumulated for a while when he got sick in the past. Doctor said that it was about to turn into tuberculosis if immediate treatment was not done.

Long story short, my brother dropped off his kids in my home to be looked after, while he and his wife can watch over my nephew in the hospital. So, yeah, imagine how difficult it was to write in peace and silence while the kids were all going crazy near your room. Highly recommend not to do that because, I assure you guys, your sanity will just drop.

Don't get me wrong, I love the kids, but their energy can be quite tiring to endure, especially when two of them are screaming and one was bawling their eyes out for no actual reason other than to go home and be with her mother, who was not exactly there, mind you. Not only that, my godson was thrown into the babysitting mix and my days recently just became ridiculous.

Day and night, no actual peaceful rest and sweet dreams, nor do I have enough time and energy to write. Just plain craziness, I tell you.

As for my announcement, it's not really much. I just plan on creating a p-treon page in the future for my original stories, so I'm giving you guys a heads up of my plans for the future. Don't worry, I don't intend to make a profit out of my fan-fiction stories. My fan-fiction stories will always be free to read for everyone. But, not my original stories though, unfortunately. I'll probably make news there for all of my stories, including the ones for my fan-fiction stories because I'm kind of lazy like that. I don't want to always publish announcements here anymore because it feels like I'm click-baiting you guys.

Getting your hopes up just to see my rants leaves a bad taste in my mouth. If I do, then I'll at least give you guys something to at least make it worth your time.

Let's say, including a bit of a preview of the next chapter in my announcements?

Still, if you want, I highly recommend going there for news and plans for my stories. Of course, they will be separated. The news for my fan-fiction stories will be unlocked for everyone to read, but not my original stories. So, guys, keep that in mind.

I've always wanted to try my hand in professional writing, so I guess making an original story is the first step to get to that goal. So, I hope you guys would give my original story a try once I do make it.

Anyways, the numbers you saw in this chapter from time to time are my own comments for those certain scenes. I've placed them below and above the Q&A, so feel free to read it if you're interested, but I highly recommend that you do. They're like my little trivia for the content of this chapter.

Now, with those out of the way, let me first tell you guys how much I do appreciate your support and love for this story. It's really encouraging, guys. I know I've said it before, but I won't get tired to say my gratitude for your support, so I hope you guys don't mind me repeating it over and over again. I'm just really thankful because it means a lot! :D

Also, before I leave you guys be, I plan on taking a break for a while, which would last for about two to three weeks. Christmas is coming right around the corner and New Year's Eve is a week away after that, so during those weeks, I'll be really busy, more so than ever because I have plans in those times.

You know, the usual, real life responsibilities and meeting up with close relatives who I only get to see on special occasions.

So, the next update will probably be in the second or third week of January. In between those times, I'll try to write and stockpile some chapters, along with using other methods to find more materials for the story. I'll even probably make a new story if I'm feeling brave enough. The MC is still Hadrian, but he's in an alternate world. I'll let you guys know right away if I do.

I'm keeping my life organize, guys, so I can have more room to write for this story. So, please exert great patient until the next update.

As per usual, please leave a review, fave, and (or) follow this story. And once again, many thanks to the ones that did one or all of the above.

See you guys in the next update. Happy early Christmas and a New Year to guys. Have a great season, guys! :D

(Note: If you guys are curious about the MC's timeline of learning Magecraft, this is how it goes. Hadrian learned Magecraft at 5 years old through Waver, got taught by Lorelei at 6, then became self-learned at tender age of 8. He enrolled in the Clock Tower at 13, then he joined the war at 14 years old.)

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**(1)** – Just imagine Arturia wearing fashionable modern clothes for women. Simple as that. Don't overthink it, and just enjoy the image in your heads.

**(2)** – Rider and the others' attires are actually influenced by their canon counterparts. If you look at their pages in Type Moon Wiki, they have official artworks in their galleries there.

**(3)** – This scene between Arturia and Rider. This was influenced by their relationship in canon. According to my sources (which is the Type Moon wiki and other fans I talked to), they're like frenemies, friends and enemies at the same time. So, I thought, why not make them be frenemies in my story as well. Hence, their strange interaction here.

**(4)** – See, guys? The MC is quite a responsible person. A real role model, if you ask me. Also, this scene was somewhat influenced by a movie called '**The Hangover**'.

**(5)** – Ryu, hmmm… If you are wondering about his appearance, search for a Digimon named '**Tokomon**' in Google. Look at its wiki page, then take off the antennas and replace it with white feathery wings, a pair of cat ears, cat tail, and the body of white fluffy bun. Bao shape, more like. I admit, I was kind of hungry when I wrote the description of his appearance! XD

**(6)** – Astolfo and Charles arguing over the former's clothing. Got influenced to write that scene because of Fate/Extella Link. And no, I still don't have any idea wtf is going on in that game because I have yet to play it. But, I figured I might as well watch its gameplay for more material on their bond and personalities since I'm not getting that game any time soon, much to my sadness. So, don't worry about mentioning spoilers for me guys, I don't mind. The more I know about the game, the better for me to use it as material for the story.

**(7)** – Take note of how Hadrian is in this scene. He's quite patient and lenient when it comes to those who are close to him. Mind you though, he's no beta nor is he naïve. I hope the previous chapter is informative enough about how he reacts to people with malevolent intentions, such as Twice for example. As for what Hadrian thinks about the man and his 'charming' personality, he hates the man. Plain and simple. Not just because Twice was literally the reason as to why the moon grail wars were so screwed up over the years, but he turned back on his morals and his faith on humanity, which Hadrian found understandable, but regardless, he still does not like it. Hadrian himself has no faith in mankind in general (no thanks to a certain vile Emperor and the people of Solheim), but he does have faith in the people that trusts him. Hence, his anger at the psycho. In Hadrian's mind, he made the wish to save the innocent and those he cared about. The only negative consequence to his wish was that bad people would also live longer as well, which puts makes him gloomy every time he thinks about it. Why else do you guys think that he mopes around whenever his thoughts flashes back to the grail war? It's not just the people that he killed, but also because he was letting evil people like Twice roam around the world again, despite of it all.

**(8)** – Kieran is a servant that Hadrian doesn't treat as a proper servant. A retainer, yes. But, as a Servant in contract, it's a no. Their bond is more like how Noctis acts around his retainers/friends. As for Kieran's identity, I left some clues in this chapter, so I'll leave it to you guys to figure it out. If you do find out, remember this, he's not the same as in canon and take note of his true desire, which is to 'live freely'. In the future, probably in the sequel, Kieran will have an important role to play.

**(9)** – Just imagine a holographic map like how the Ironman does it in the movies. I tell ya, the Moon Cell is just that high tech that it can put all of Tony Stark's inventions to shame. If I had a choice to choose between having either the Moon Cell or Tony Stank's genius-level intelligence, I'll choose the former anytime. So, Tony Stank who? :3

**(10)** – Yes, it's just what you are thinking, the Neurolyzer of the 'Finis' was actually the same one in **Men In Black**. I guess you can say that I'm paying homage to the legendary item. Of course, expect for other objects and elements from various animes, games and movies to be appear in this story. Like Bloodborne, Batman Arkham trilogies and more.

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**Q & A**

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…

**Krowlein:**

**A** – Yes, I do have a reason for Charles being in the story, but it's not that vital to the plot. He was summoned because the Moon Cell found him to be compatible with Hadrian. Also, about the Harry Potter tag, it's because that is the next world that the MC is going into. I don't want to spoil too much of the plot, but you guys will see how this story will go in the future.

Honestly, I both hate and love the HP franchise. I love the plot, the magic, and most of the things in it, but I didn't like how it had gone midway into the story. It just felt like Harry was lacking something, and he was supposed to be the "**Chosen One**" yet he's so damn naïve, and then the explanation of how he survived the cursed spell was so halfhearted it made me hated it.

So, I guess you can say that by choosing HP verse for the MC to be transferred into, this would be my consolation of how the story ended in canon. Not only that, but there were some things that I had found quite interesting about the HP verse that can be related to the Fate verse. Again, you guys will see what I mean by it in the upcoming chapters.

As for this story being a harem, I'm not sure yet, honestly. But, the sequel of this story is definitely going to be, that's for sure.

If I were to describe the bond between Hadrian and Arturia, then it would be really great friends that are comfortable in each other's space. They look like two people who are about to become intimate with just a push in that direction, but it's more they depend on each other's presence due to what they went through in the war, so them being a lot closer than good friends would actually appear is to be expected. It's getting closer to the line of romance, sure, but it is not quite there yet.

There will be romance in the future, but that will be once we are well into the story. Right now, I'm more focused on the MC's development, his bonds with others, his journey and the world building in general. I'm just not sure if I want this story to become a harem or not, but we'll see how it goes along the way.

…

**Dxhologram:**

Yes, it's quite an info dump, but like I said before, I just want to get that out of the way so you guys can be up to date to what was going on in his life lately in the Fate verse.

And as for the lack of dialogue, well, it's because of how I designed each chapter. The recent chapters were more focused on info instead of dialogue, and there will be more of those in the future, but it won't be as prominent as before. You'll probably see it every now and then, but for now, interactions is more present in the story.

As for Hadrian beating Gil, well, that's only possible because of his battle experience, his tactics and the Armiger Arsenal.

If you ask me who is stronger between Hadrian and Gil, it would be Hadrian, and this is not because I'm biased. More like, I'm being logical here.

Whenever Gil uses the Gate of Babylon, there's a second delay because the object would have to be shot out of the portals. With the Armiger Arsenal, Hadrian only need to make the weapons appear in whichever direction and spot that he wants and it will be there in a split second.

What's more, one of the reasons that Hadrian has the advantage over Gil is because he doesn't need to worry about his safety when it comes to his weapons.

Gil had to be careful not to let himself get hit by his own weapons once the fight become up close in range, while Hadrian didn't need to be concerned with his weapons in Armiger Arsenal due to three things: one, they abide to his wishes and can vanish at his will; two, they won't hurt him cause they are connected to his soul; three, he can control them to both attack and defend his blind spots.

That is the powerful versatility of the Armiger, because the weapons in the phantom treasury are already fused with his soul that they become in tune to his thoughts and will. Unlike Gil and Shirou, who both have to be careful in maneuvering their weapons and not endanger themselves.

Hadrian is like the ultimate hidden boss with his bloodline powers and the Moon Cell, which is one of the reasons why Charles and some of his other servants are a bit scared of him.

So ha ha, Gil and Shirou can suck on that! :D

There are more interesting abilities in the Lucis bloodline, but you guys will see in the future chapters I'm sure

I'm glad you liked the part about the Moon Cell. As for Twice, I don't really liked the guy, and neither does Hadrian, for a good reason of course.

You can't blame him either for killing the moron, not after what he went through in the war.

The idea had been that trope, but in Hadrian's case, he was more angry and annoyed at the fact that the moron who caused the wars was there and was demanding things of him that he has no right to whatsoever instead of being dead like he ought to be. In his point of view, the longer the moron spoke, the longer he breathed, so Hadrian skipped over the tradition and simply went in for the kill.

And as for Merlin, he might make an appearance in the future in this story. But I don't know when it'll be because I need to pour over his background some more to really get a hold of his personality, both in his wiki page and watching his interactions in the FGO anime. It'll be interesting to see how Arturia and Fou would react to his presence once he makes an appearance in the story! :D

…

**Journey to the End:**

Yup, you guessed it! :D

True, he had the option to still use Ea and just blast Hadrian out of the way, but again, how would he do that successfully if the guy can just teleport out of the way and get another chance to sneak and attack him again from his blind spots? I tell ya, don't underestimate an enemy who can teleport without worry of insufficient magical energy.

Also, I think you are overestimating Ea's power. **Ea is not a planet busting NP**. It's an **Anti-World Noble Phantasm**, not an Anti-Planet Noble Phantasm. The World and the actual planet are not the same thing in Fate. If you played FGO and got to the Shinjuku chapter, there are two lines that Da Vinci said that was interesting.

**Da Vinci: To begin with, even if you release the full power of a Top Servant's Noble Phantasm, it still can't completely destroy the planet.**

**Da Vinci: Anti-Planetary (or Anti-Star in some translations) Noble Phantasm...even if such a thing existed...According to calculations it's still not possible to destroy this planet.**

The only confirmed planet busting attack we have in Fate is Mortiarty's _The Dynamics of an Asteroid_, which requires a significant amount of prep and specific circumstances to work.

We have seen Ea being used a few times in the Fate series, but it was never to the point that it was planet busting. We saw Gil made large craters with it in his fight with Enkidu, but again, not to point that we see it put out enough damage to harm the earth in its entirety.

Granted, it's undeniable that Ea is powerful, but not enough to actually affect the planet. Still, it's among the top NP weapons in Fate and can rival even Excalibur's might, so it's still a boon to have it in one's arsenal (no pun intended). Honestly, I find Ea to be most useful when it comes to destroying Reality Marbles, which is why I wanted Hadrian to have it since Reality Marbles are quite tricky.

And I'm glad you like that part with Etro. I've been a fan of FF15 for a long time now. I still remember how disappointed I was that they had to scrap that idea in the end because I really thought that it was cool how the story relates with Lightning's story, but unfortunately, due to too many grim references with death, the devs had to remake most of the plot from scratch and start over.

Yes, the 'she' reference was actually Gaia. I'm well aware that she hates mankind, but with the MC, she made an exception. In this story (which follows most of Fate/Extra canon), the world was dying, and so Hadrian made a wish upon the Grail to restore it into its healthy state. As a reward for his efforts, Fou was given to Hadrian to be his familiar because she deems him as a 'special case' among humans. In a way, Fou acts as the liaison between her and Hadrian as a sign of her good faith in him for saving the earth (her), even if it was accidental.

But in actuality, this is what happened...

Because Hadrian didn't want the Magi to come up to the Inner Side of the Moon and live there where the chances of the Moon Cell being exploited is high (which is what happened in canon most of the time), Hadrian was left with no option but to make that wish, so that the humans will continue to remain on earth and stay there. Having experienced the war and desiring no more of it to happen in the future, Hadrian made that wish on purpose to direct the attention of the Magi elsewhere and forget about anything related to the Moon Cell.

Although, he did not expect to become the new owner of the Automaton.

As they always say, with great power comes with great responsibility, and the MC is quite a responsible dude.

Haha, it's long, but I hope this helps! (^_^')

And yes, there will be scenes of their bond in the next chapter. It might even seem intimate if you ask me. As for their time in the war, you'll see them in the future. For now, the upcoming chapters will be more focused on the present. Also, yes to the Gawain part. I don't know why they said on his background that he's not the type to look down on his enemies, then what the hell was that part when he trash talk your chosen Servant (Saber/Archer/Caster) in Fate/Extra? Lies if you ask me.

That's why I always double check on a character's background info both in their wiki page and in the anime.

You never really know how different they act in anime and what was written in their backgrounds. (-_-)

…

**Gen2324:**

Yeah, that's what I also imagined in my head if he faced the MC and Arturia (is the servant he summoned instead of any of the three) in the war. Gawain would probably have his tail between his legs and just become really quiet once he was in Arturia's presence, like a whipped dog not daring to bark insults at his King's Master.

It's actually a funny scene to imagine, if you ask me! XD

As for flashbacks of the final fight, yes, there will be some in the future, but for now, we are more focused on the present time of the story. The flash backs of the war will come once that's settled.

And yes, Merlin might make an appearance in the story as well, but again, it will be in the future because I have research his background more to capture the essence of his character.

…

**Kensei-1085:**

Huh, that's interesting, and I'm guessing that Altera's connections with them is related to Velber isn't it? If it is, then I'm not really going to be surprised. Feel free to prove me wrong if not.

Velber's existence is literally one of the main cores of the Extella's plot and, if my guess holds some truth, then it's to be expected. It's fine if you give me spoilers because I really don't mind. No need to apologize. Spoilers can help me understand the story better, and I don't think I'll be able to get Extella Link anytime soon. It's sold out in my country and I also don't have any extra money to buy the game, so I'm forced to watch the game's walkthroughs in Youtube. So, spoilers about the game are fine from this point on.

Hadrian's Ring of Lucii is quite different from the original. It still has the same abilities, but it was tweaked by Etro and the astrals. It doesn't have the souls of his ancestors though.

And yes, Zelretch is talking about Gaia. She became fond of Hadrian after he saved the world (her), even if it was accidental. She still hates mankind, but she's causing less trouble out of her fondness for the MC. A bit of natural disaster every now and then, but she's mostly preoccupied in watching over Hadrian's journey with great but quiet anticipation.

I guess you can say she's got a new hobby now? (^_^')

…

**fruitspunchsamurai-987: **

Ha ha, Hadrian would probably like Caster (Gil) more than the Archer version he met. :)

As for Hadrian being affected by Excalibur's light, I think the effect would only be minimal. First, Hadrian's soul is the holiest light itself. His soul is pure, like the rest of the kings and queens of Lucis, or else, the Crystal and the Ring won't accept them as the sovereigns of the kingdom.

According to FF wiki, Bahamut's element is holy light, the purest of them all. In the Japanese five elements philosophy, Bahamut can be seen as a representative of the highest element, "**sora**", which is most often translated as the "**void**", but also meaning "**sky**" or "**heaven**". It represents things beyond people's everyday experience, particularly things composed of pure energy.

It was also noted while seeing the light of Excalibur can be a life-changing experience for most people, there are a certain number that won't be affected much by it. Hadrian is one of those people, and that is because his soul itself is already on the level of Excalibur's light in terms of purity. Probably even more because his soul is not artificial made inhuman hands, he was already born with it.

So seeing that light, he won't be that much affected by it. He would be reminded of some memories, but no more than that.

If anything, Hadrian would probably saw something beyond that light, something unpleasant about it.

…

**Doortolight47:**

Expansions on fairies? I'm not sure yet, because I'm still deciding whether to go along with HP verse's fairies or Fate verse's.

I will admit, when it comes to the subject of fairies in Fate verse, my knowledge on them is still minimal at best. I didn't even know about the Fairy Knights because I'm still watching the Case Files, which I have to yet to finish watching since rl has kept me busy this year. Thanks for the info though, because it can help me with the story's lore about the fairies.

It's interesting subject really, the fairies in Fate verse I mean. I feel like those fairies are more at a higher level than the ones in HP verse, so I think I might be able to connect the two in some way. We will just have to see as the story goes. Still, it's quite an interesting subject. I might dabble with it later on and do more research about them in the future.

As for what Hadrian thinks of Excalibur's light, he would probably be impressed but won't be affected much by it. I believe I said this before, but Hadrian's soul is quite pure by itself, so he'll be one of those people who are not that affected by its light. Honestly speaking, I think Excalibur's light affects people who carries something heavy in their souls (like guilt or regret, for example) and is in need of spiritual enlighten. That's why, they are reminded of memories in their past once they saw its light.

In Hadrian's case, he won't be that affected by it since he soul is light itself and he doesn't really have that many regrets in life. What he did in the war was something he was guilty of, but he accepted his sins, his mistakes wholeheartedly, and moved on. He's quite strong like that, both in mind and soul. :)

Actually, all kings and queens of Lucis are like that when it comes to such things. If you go to FF wiki and read the descriptions of the royal weapons, you'll see that most of their original owners had led tragic lives. Noctis's himself was no exception to this. If you play the game or seen the anime, then you'll know what I mean.

…

**Shirayasha Rises: **

Arturia's POV will come in the future, but not yet. The next chapters will be more focused on the present instead of the flashback. Probably once we have gone pass it, then I'll try to write her POV down. And interactions are in this chapter and the next, so I hope you like this one! :D

You'll get to see more of Arturia's bond with Hadrian, so just wait patiently until then.

…

**Lazymanjones96:**

Welcome, and I'm glad to see you find the story interesting so far. Feel free to join the club of Q&A if you have any questions about the story so far.

I hope to hear more from you in the future as well! :)

…

**fahimshahriar871:**

No, not yet. But he is quite close to becoming a Magician. He just needs to activate his own True Magic, but he will need to learn how to do it.

That is something that you guys will see as the story goes on. (^_^)

…

**Farron:**

Yeah, he's quite a trash talker, ain't he?

Which I find very odd to see in a knight of King Arthur, and I find it even strange that he wasn't aware of being capable of it in the game too. :\

…

**Heron:**

Yeah, the gods in both worlds are quite similar. But I think I like the astrals more than the gods in Fate verse, because they at least showed compassion and were even more active in their support for mankind's survival, going as far as to fight even their own kind.

I only liked a few of the astrals though, like Etro (I know she's not an astral, but she is considered to be a god in Lightning's story), Shiva (which is Gentiana), Ramuh and the Titan. I find them as gods who are actually good in nature. Not Bahamut and Leviathan though, caused they got shitty personalities in my opinion, especially the latter.

…

**Oran: **

FF15 Dawn of the Future? I didn't even know that existed because I was more focused on the anime and the game. I didn't even know they had novels of FF15.

This is actually the first time I've heard of it. But yes, it would have been a good sight to see her have a larger role than she had in the game. I felt like her role there was too short, too abrupt, but she made an impression on me and I want to see her more in the story. Preferably with her own episode in the game.

There's the movie, but it's more focused on Nyx Ulric than with her.

…

**Shin:**

Avalon? Hmm, there's a chance that it might happen, but we'll see! ;)

…

**Guest: **

Yeah, he did, and he probably did it in a reckless yet ingenious way too. ;)

…

**Yevon: **

Yes, that part with Alice really made an impact on me.

Sure, she was trying to kill you, but I don't even blame her for it either. Her life on earth was less than ideal, if not one of the worsts. She was ill and bedridden, her parents don't seemed to care for her as any proper (and sane) ones would for their child, her only companion was a book throughout most of her life, and wars were still happening around the world, which probably caused her death and then she was drop in the middle of a brutal event where there's only one winner/survivor.

What she experienced on earth and the events on the moon had probably distorted her views in reality and moral values of life. To her, the war was just a game, and she didn't mind that she had to kill people in order for her to keep 'playing'. I find that upsetting because it made me realized that she never had a proper childhood, and the MC killed her just to survive.

Things like that are something that stays with you even if you had moved on with your life, and Hadrian is no exception to this.

Hence, Hadrian's guilt over the matter relating to Alice.

…

**Garrick:**

Yes, the spell is actually modeled after Tatsuya's **Disintegration**. I'm a fan of the anime MKnR, so you'll be seeing some spells there in this story.

As for Arturia using Rhongomyniad, I don't think that's possible yet. She doesn't even know Gray's true identity yet since they haven't really cross each other's paths that much.

Remember, Hadrian is the apprentice of Lorelei Barthomeloi, not Waver's. He had only been a student of Waver's for a year, and that was when he was a lot younger. But he does visit the man and his students (Flatt, Gray and the others) there in the Clock Tower from time to time.

Whenever they are in England, Hadrian is more likely to be accompanied by one or two of his male retainers than the girls whenever he goes to the Clock Tower. Sometimes, one of the girls would accompany him there, like Arturia or Rider for example, but that only happens in rare occasions.

The girls are more likely to accompany his mother or lounge around the Schweinorg castle and wait for him there after he's done for the day.

Still, if she does realized their relations with each other, I think Arturia would let her keep it. Gray's a good and responsible girl, after all.

…

**Ina:**

I think that will be the last time you guys will see the astrals. There might be reference to them from time to time, but no plans of actual appearances of them in the future.

The story is already in Nasuverse, after all. I think it would be catastrophic if one of them makes an appearance in that world. Gaia and Alaya might go nuts if that happens, and poor Hadrian would be caught right in the middle of that clash. So let's try to avoid that, shall we? Those two goddesses can be quite merciless when it comes down to a fight.

…

**Guest:**

Yes, he has access to Gil's Gate of Babylon, and using the power of the Noble Phantasms…

It's quite possible. The reason for this is because of the Lucis bloodline. Noctis and the past kings and queens of Lucis are quite known to be powerful warrior-sovereigns that can wield different types of weapons and even proficient with them, skill-wise. Gilgamesh got nothing on them since goldie only knows how to use them, but not to the point that he can be called skilled.

Pit Gil against Sasaki Kojirou in a sword only duel without the help of the Gate of Babylon, and he will definitely lose.

Gil's a collector, not a master of using weapons. But Hadrian is, particularly due to the Lucis bloodline, the Armiger, and the Moon Cell.

With these things, Hadrian can even be better than Emiya in that regard, because he has the Moon Cell's support, which stores a lot of data about weapons than the UBW could ever dream of.

…

**Guess:**

Ha ha, you mean the tantric ritual? The answer is no, but Hadrian did do the Mana Transfer with Arturia. It doesn't involved anything lewd though.

I don't know why most fans seemed to be hung up on that part, but there are other ways to do the Mana Transfer that doesn't involve the tantric ritual. Yes, I understand that I's fascinating, but not to the point I'm obsessing over it. I guess I'm just one of those people that don't really care much about things like that.

It was even mentioned in FGO, but it wasn't told how to do it though... yet. I'll just have to make my own, I suppose. Haa, the works… (-_-)

…

**Reed: **

No, he doesn't have a car. He does have a motorbike though. Of course, like the Regalia, it's specifically customized to fit a King. :D

…

**Carrie: **

Indeed, but hey, at least he was given a second chance to have one in the future.

That is, if he could put his responsibilities and duties behind him first and replace it with pleasure. (^_^')

…

**Lorenzo:**

Arturia''s alters? I'm not really sure. Maybe I'll think about it in the future. Still, it's an interesting concept to think about, if you ask me.

…

**KingAllen:**

Yes, Charles is Charlemangne. Charles is one of his nicknames in FE Link. In fact, he insisted upon his friends to call him by it. :)

I'm glad to hear that you love the story so far, and it's more like the MC will be going to the HP verse in the future. You'll see what I mean.

In this story, the two are not his servants. I just don't see them becoming so, because I think they are more suited to be Hakuno's servants than Hadrian's. They have strong independent personalities that blends well with Hakuno's quiet and laid back one, so I think Hadrian's chances to summon either of them is unlikely. Hadrian is more compatible with servants like Arturia and Charles than those two. And yes, the Moon Cell is going to act like a personal AI with a near omnipotent system for Hadrian, but a different kind of system that doesn't hold its owner back.

So, there won't be any quests, rewards system or anything that you see in most games, fan-fic and original stories with game elements.

The Moon Cell will be completely subservient to its owner's will (which is Hadrian in this case) and not hold him back with its 'quests'.

Just think of Ironman's AI in the Marvel franchise, except the Moon Cell has massive resources to call upon and is much more sophisticated than any AI's ever made.

...

Well, I hope that's everyone. Anyways, see you guys in the next chapter. Again, Merry Christmas and a great New year everyone! Adieu! :)


	8. Chapter 7 — Clues (2)

...

Ugh, damn shitty internet provider.

Sorry for the delay, guys. I actually intended to release this chapter yesterday, but my internet was really slow. It just didn't want to do what I want it to do.

Anyways, welcome to another new chapter of TPoM! :D

Apologies for the delay, I've been busy as always, but then writer's block always hits me after the day is done.

Okay, I'm going to stop yapping now. The rest of my AN will be right down below as always, so I'll see you guys there.

As per usual, please leave a review, fave and (or) follow this story. And many thanks to the ones that did one or all of the above. I know I have said it before, but I will never get tired of saying it again. I really appreciate the support and words of encouragement. They mean a lot to newbie writers like myself, so thank you once again, again.

Also, thanks for the holiday and New Year greetings, guys. It's fine that they're late.

I'm at fault for publishing the chapter near the end of the year. I wanted it to be a surprise so, it can't be helped. (shrugs)

Now, without further ado, let's get on with the story! :)

...

* * *

…

"Words"

'_Thoughts_'

"**Spells**" or "**Abilities**"

*** Sound Effects ***

**[ Moon Cell ]**

…

* * *

**Chapter 7 – Clues (2)**

* * *

…

After escorting their Master to the coffee shop of Astolfo's choice, Rider and Scáthach separated from the group and had gone straight to their destination.

The two of them had already checked on the other buildings in their district, and this was the third they are about to inspect.

Once they saw the front gate entrance, the two sighed as they realized that the building was an old asylum.

Before they entered, they scouted the area first.

Rider used her acute hearing to check if there were any humans in the vicinity, while Scáthach did the same with her Primordial Runes.

When they found nothing but small ordinary animals nearby, the two turned to one another and nodded.

"I'll set up the Bounded Field now then." Scáthach announced.

Stopping near the rusted gate, Scáthach drew a Primordial Rune on the stone wall that holds the gate entrance.

The surroundings changed as a vast blue magical energy covers the entire property, creating a dome-like form as it reached the top of the asylum.

Once it had reached the roof of the building, the bounded field disappeared and the scenery returned to normal.

With the bounded field in place, the two women walked in the direction of the lone asylum standing in the distance.

As they did so, he two beautiful women stared at the tall and massive structure with calm and stoic expressions.

The old asylum has five floors, vast in space and very much abandoned. Everything in and outside the building seemed to be decaying, except for the trees and grass growing outside.

Earlier, Hadrian even informed them of the rumors about the asylum being haunted, which was only augmented by the recent murder case that occurred inside the building.

While most people would be discouraged to go inside despite the daylight, Rider and Scáthach didn't hesitate as they both entered through the front entrance.

The two women looked around, observing their surroundings with a keen eye.

As one would expect in an abandoned building, there were dust, cobwebs, rusted equipment, and darkness everywhere.

After having gone through dangerous situations in their respective pasts, these little trivia did not deter the two women from inspecting the building.

Then, Rider noticed a sign and turned to Scáthach.

"I found the stairs." Rider nodded towards the sign. "Let's go."

As a person in favor of silence, Scáthach followed the purple-haired woman without a word.

Having been briefed by their Master earlier, the two women knew where they must go and felt no need to break the silence as they ascend the stairs.

As people who were fond of silence and tranquility, Rider and Scáthach can work together without talking much to each other.

Although, it might have been different if their Master was around. But at the moment, the two women were content with silence.

What caused them to break it though, was due to the sensation they felt as they got closer to their destination.

From the moment they entered the building, the two women sensed different movements as they walk about, which confused them since there was no one around.

Trusting their experience and honed senses, Rider and Scáthach let their instincts lead them to the third floor of the asylum.

Moments later, they came across a spacious room with chairs, a helping desk and red carpet covered floors.

At the other end, there are twin doors made of dark wood that was adjacent to the glass ceiling above.

Interestingly enough, the light from the glass ceiling was providing the twin doors a great spotlight, as if encouraging anyone who sees it to enter.

Back in the day when the asylum was still active, the room would probably be the waiting area for patients and visitors alike.

In present time though, the room looked nothing more than the most ominous part of the building, despite the bright light coming from above.

The two of them stared at the twin doors that seems to hold a dangerous and dark magical energy behind them.

"How vile…" Scáthach muttered, crimson eyes narrowed.

"I've felt dark energies before, but it was never this…" Rider trailed off, frowning as she tried to find a proper word to finish her statement.

Amused, Scáthach looked at her companion with a raised brow, which was a habit that she seemed to have adopted from her Master lately.

"… Dark?" The crimson eyed woman supplied, smiling a little.

"Yes." Rider nodded in agreement. "It was not to this level. In the previous cases, the magical energy that lingered in the air was more subtle compared to this."

"Hmm, it is most likely due to the murder being recent." Scáthach mused aloud. "The earlier ones we searched in had happened long ago. The one in here must be new."

"How long do you think it is?" Rider asked.

"By my guess, probably a few days ago. I'll have to see it closer if you want a more accurate opinion." Scáthach answered.

"Then, off we go." Rider smirked.

She pushed the doors open, and the two of them entered with their guards up, fully expecting something worse to meet them.

Contrary to what they think, besides a couple of wooden chairs and a desk with a large window beside it, nothing but a (somewhat) clean and empty room greeted them instead.

Rider and Scáthach paused, looking around the dimly lit room with confused expressions as they walked towards the center.

"Well… that was a bit disappointing." Scáthach muttered with a small frown. "I thought something interesting would be here."

Rider scoffed lightly.

"I think your idea of 'interesting' is different to what I'm thinking." The purple-haired servant deadpanned.

"Is it? I think the humans of this era would call it 'living a little', no?" Scáthach smiled.

"Is that how people call it nowadays?" Rider muttered, skeptical.

"Regardless, I thought —" Scáthach stilled, then turned to Rider with a serious expression.

Noticing the other woman halted, Rider stepped near her and asked.

"What is it?"

"I think I've found the cause of that vile energy." Scáthach announced lowly.

"That was fast." Rider raised a brow in surprise. "What is the cause then?"

"The pentagram that is in the center of the room." Scáthach answered, calm and stoic in tone and façade.

Rider looked towards the center and found nothing what the other woman had described for her.

She turned back to Scáthach, who also happened to be looking at her.

"I don't see it." Rider said in a deadpan voice.

"I'm not surprised that you don't." Scáthach returned, then went on a brief explanation.

"The pentagram is hidden in a powerful illusion, enough to even play tricks on people who are highly experienced in Magecraft. If not for my own experience in the mystical arts, I would have trouble discovering it. Also, the vile energy that is coming from it has helped me to locate it accurately. Still…"

Scáthach turned her gaze to the center on the ground, almost glaring in her stare due to how intense it was.

"I can't see its actual appearance, but the dark energy permeating from that spot is quite telling."

"Can you make it appear?" Rider asked.

Scáthach hummed, looking thoughtful.

"I've not had cases like this one before enough in the past…" She paused.

"Well, that's reassuring…" Rider said flatly.

"But, I can try." Scáthach finished, slowly making her way to the center.

Rider followed behind her, only stopping when Scáthach did, who looked at the ground intensely.

With a flick of her right wrist and a flash of red light particles, Scáthach summoned a crimson spear with vein-like details upon its form.

It was **Gáe Bolg**, the legendary cursed spear that she passed on to the '**Child of Light**', **Cú Chulainn**, who was lauded as a great Hero on par with Heracles and King Arthur.

The spear in her hand though, was one of the spears that she crafted for her own use.

Gently, Scáthach used the tip of the spear to swipe the ground one feet away from where she stood as she cast a spell on the one spot that her eyes were set on.

A moment later, numerous runes glowing in a white light suddenly appeared and formed into a two meter circle.

It flashed brightly, causing the two women to squint their eyes and endure the glare.

Fortunately, it didn't last long and the runes disappeared as quickly as it came.

In place of the runes was a magic circle that was drawn using a dark substance that seemed familiar.

Upon closer inspection, they realized that the substance was actually dried blood.

Scáthach's crimson eyes narrowed as she tried to discern the ritual circle's purpose by identifying its structure.

As someone who is well-versed in most kinds of magic, Scáthach has a wealth of experience in identifying different branches of Magecraft, including the ritualistic kind.

However, even that can be a flaw since she had seen many ritual circles before in her long life, which caused her to have a bit of trouble in recognizing the pentagram near her feet.

'_If only the materials to use this ritual were still here, then maybe I could have figure it out_.' Scáthach mused, then she sighed. '_No choice. I suppose I can let Master handle this one_.'

As she turned to face Rider, Scáthach paused as she saw something peculiar after she looked up.

"Those weren't there before…" Scáthach muttered in surprise.

The cause of her surprise was the strange change that happened to the room.

The room had gone through a complete overhaul, changing from an almost pleasant area to an unpleasant one in less than a second.

Before, the spacious room was empty and somewhat clean, except for the wooden chairs strewn around and the empty desk by the window.

Now, after the pentagram was revealed, it was filled with black vein-like organic tissues that spread all over the room like roots as black liquid oozes out of them, along with the magic circles of the same kind as the one in the center in every direction.

What surprised her the most was the similar dark energy emanating from all of them, and she had no clue that they were even there until after she forced the pentagram to appear.

'_It's like the Land of Shadows all over again, except a magnitude disgusting and rotten_.' Scáthach mused with a small frown.

Being reminded of her prison-like realm, Scáthach wrinkled her nose lightly and made a decision to destroy the building with many of her magically charged spears.

That is, after her Master has inspected the room first.

Straightening her posture, Scáthach turned to face Rider, who she noticed had gone quiet for a few minutes.

When she turned to her though, she stopped as she noticed the look of concentration on Rider's beautiful face.

"What's wrong?" Scáthach asked.

Slowly, Rider turned to look at her.

"There's something coming." The purple-haired servant said quietly, almost wary as she faced the twin doors.

"Is it a human?" Scáthach asked, following the other woman's motion as she readied the spear beside her.

"… I'm not sure." Rider's brows furrowed slightly. "But can you hear it? There's a sound that's echoing across the walls."

Silence reign upon the room as Scáthach focused her enhanced hearing and discovered the sound of…

"Is that breathing?" The crimson eyed woman was confused.

Indeed, they heard a distinctive wheezing sound, which seemed as if someone was having an asthma attack.

The wheezing sound was constant in every few beats, and it was accompanied by an eerie tone that does not resemble a human's.

In addition, the vile energy coming from every ritual circles placed in each direction of the room, along with the eerie sound, made the scene appear ominous and tense.

"Seems like it, and the presence it gives off is confusing." Rider stated.

"I felt the same, but since you are the one who has better senses, why don't you enlighten me?" Scáthach offered.

"If I were to describe it, then it feels like a human but no longer." Rider explained.

"You mean an undead?" Scáthach asked with a raised brow. "If so, then things will be simple."

"Not quite." Rider disagreed. "It does not have a heartbeat, but something is making '**it**' move."

"Regardless of what that is, I'm sure we'll find out soon anyway." Scáthach said calmly. "It's coming in our way, after all."

Rider did not reply as she simply open her right hand and summoned her weapon.

In a flash of gold, a black and purple scythe of a wicked and elegant design appeared with a large deadly blade and about 5'3 in length.

Attached at the end of the scythe was a long dark purple chain with a spear-like point, which curled around her right arm as if it was alive.

The weapon's name was '**Harpe**', a divine 'sword' with a special shape similar to a scythe, and one of the objects that belonged to her most hated enemy.

With the weapon at her side, she focused her gaze on the twin doors that was soon being forced to open.

The loud banging noises upon the doors was obvious enough for the two to discern that whatever was on the side does not know how to open it.

It was only thanks to its locking mechanism of the doorknobs that it still held up, but even that did not last long.

After hearing a growl from the other side, the twin doors burst open a moment later and the two finally saw their uninvited guest.

The first thing that went in their minds was that the intruder was a **monster**.

'**It**' has a large, vaguely, human-shaped form with a muscular built, and has an imposing height of 7'5 feet that can tower over a grown man easily.

It was hairless, and has a seemingly-rough corpse-like gray skin. The mouth was large and lipless, which takes up most of its otherwise featureless face, and is filled with needle-like teeth that forces the creature to grin eerily. The sclera of its eyes were jet-black and its irises were glowing a blood-red color. **(1)**

It has no nose, ears or sexual characteristics. Its arms were muscled and long, dangling on its sides, and has claw-like hands.

What makes the creature more disturbing was its glowing bloodshot eyes, its raspy breathing, and severely disturbing gait.

But, to the two women, the only thing that disturbed them was that the creature was naked.

It was a good thing for them that it has no sexual organs. Otherwise, their morning would have been ruined beyond repair.

On a different note, Rider found herself glad that Ryu was not with her.

Ryu has a tendency to wander in areas that piques his interest, which she finds it adorable since it reminded of her Master when he is curious about something. Therefore, she does not find it suitable for the little white puff of sunshine to be roaming around in this miserable of an old building where a strange creature was lurking about.

(Ryu was currently with her Master, who had hidden the little white puff inside his satchel after they left the penthouse.)

Upon entering the room, the large creature began to make its way towards them, its bloodshot eyes trained on them like a predator finding its next prey.

Scáthach merely stared upon the creature with a calm and stoic expression, almost looking bored as she watched its movements.

Rider wore a similar expression, but her eyes held a hint of some emotion as she stared at the creature with her fellow retainer.

"You want to take on this one?" Scáthach asked in a casual tone.

Blinking once, Rider gave the crimson eyed woman a side-ways look.

"It's fine with me if you want to." Rider answered.

"Don't mind if I do then." Scáthach smirked.

However, just as she turned, the creature suddenly moved at a speed that nearly caught the two women by surprise.

Said creature had manage to lessen the distance between them in the span of two seconds.

Scáthach and Rider used their respective speed to move away as it got between them, causing the two to separate on either sides of the room.

If not for their honed instincts, they would have been caught in its deadly embrace and one of them would have been a delectable breakfast for the creature.

Snarling in rage, it immediately went on the move, wasting no time in giving its preys a reprieve as it continued to attack by pointing its arms at their directions.

Once again, the two women were surprised when the arms of the creature extended at impossible lengths, its large hands open wide to capture them.

"Tsk!" Scáthach clicked her tongue, looking displeased.

Rider, for her part, merely remained silent and stoic.

The two dodge the attack again smoothly, but not before using their respective weapons to cut off the appendages that rudely intruded on their personal space before they distanced themselves.

Not one to let a chance get away, Scáthach made a quick eye contact with Rider, who understood her motive and nodded.

In less than a second, they used their extraordinary speed to kill the creature a few seconds after they cut off its arms

Rider went after the legs of the creature, quickly using the dark purple chains to lock its legs together, and then using the scythe to cut off its lower body in one clean swipe after closing in.

Also coming near, Scáthach went into her stance and thrust the crimson spear in a single powerful burst of movement, piercing its skull deeply by five inches.

Satisfied with their kill, the two pulled their weapons off of the creature and threw its body away from them.

Scáthach sighed, flicking the blood off of her spear before turning to Rider, who was also doing the same.

"Well, that was short." The crimson eyed woman commented, looking bored.

Rider was about to scoff when a loud hiss-like breathing interrupted her.

Brows raised in surprise, the two female retainers turned to look in the direction where they heard the sound…

… which was where the body of the creature was thrown across.

Silently, they watched as it wiggled slightly on the floor, face down, but that was not what surprised them.

No, it was the fact that the creature was **regenerating** its lost limbs at an astonishing rate. **(2)**

Then, it stood up slowly, slouching as it leaned back before turning its head towards them.

The two watched as the large hole that the crimson spear made sealed up in mere seconds, leaving its forehead absent of injury.

They were surprised, but none more so than Scáthach, who had always been confident of Gáe Bolg's cursed ability to never let any wounds heal.

Rider was the same, but unlike Scáthach, she regained her composure quickly in favor of searching for another way to kill the creature, permanently.

When Scáthach followed her suit, the two were about to circle around the creature, but they found themselves interrupted once more.

Nearly at the same time, all of the ritual circles around the room began to light up, signifying their activation, before vaguely human-shaped forms came out of them.

*** Thud ***

The sounds were loud, causing the two to glance this way and that, while keeping an eye to the creature, who was still a bit far from them.

One, two, three… eleven.

Immediately, Rider and Scáthach counted and realized that the bodies were similar to the creature, and they all seemed quite intent on having them as their next meal.

Idly, they both took noted that the ritual circles was no longer emitting magical energy after the creatures came out of them.

'_Those ritual circles_…' Scáthach mused, crimson eyes narrowing in suspicion.

Feeling a bit wary of their numbers and the abilities the creatures' have yet to show, Rider turned her head a little to the side and asked Scáthach of her opinion on their situation.

"What are we going to do now? I don't think these things have any intention of letting us leave this place safely."

Scáthach scoffed a little, crimson eyes still narrowed.

"We do what Master told us to do." Scáthach faced Rider, smirking. "We kill them all."

While Rider agreed with her words, she has another concern that she has to address.

"Don't you think we should leave one alive? For our Master's investigation, that is." She reminded.

"I don't think that is necessary." Scáthach shook her head slightly. "I'm sure our memories will be enough information for him to look into. Besides, I don't feel comfortable of leaving these things here roaming around, and I'm sure Master would agree with our decisions in burning this place down after we clear this building of these things."

Realizing the truth in her words, Rider silenced her arguments and readied herself into a stance.

"Then, let's get to work in how to kill them first." Rider stated, pale lavender eyes cold.

"Hmph, noted." Scáthach smirked, twirling the crimson spear with her right hand once.

Within a second, the women vanished from their respective spots and two streaks of different shades of purple dashed around the room in unbelievable speeds that cannot be captured with the naked eye. One by one, they left near visible afterimages of themselves as they go around the room, sudden bursts of the creatures' blood staining the walls and floors of the room as they go.

Scáthach's method was versatile.

Sometimes, she would attack by using the basic movements (a thrust to the forehead, a sweep of the legs, and etc.), or go all-out into a flurry of piercing attacks that would overwhelm the creatures until they are pushed back to the end of the room by the strong force of her strength.

Whereas Rider stuck to the simple method of hit and dash.

Using her impressive speed, she cut off the limbs of any creatures that came in her way one at a time, sometimes even two if she was feeling lucky.

Whenever the two meet gazes, Rider and Scáthach would combined their attacks and trade enemies before switching back again.

They don't know how long it had went on, but they both figured that several minutes had already passed and not one of the creatures had yet to truly die.

They tried beheading, cutting off their limbs, decapitating their bodies in half, and yet the creatures still regenerate.

What was more annoying to them was that the creatures did not lost their ferocity and brutality in their attacks.

Should their legs were cut off, they would lunge up and use their arms (to give them a bear hug) and sharp teeth to attack.

If their arms or heads were gone, they would still continue to come after them without rest.

Rider and Scáthach had to give the creatures their credit, for the latter group were not letting anything stop them in attacking.

Without stopping to breathe and lose her momentum, Rider chained the legs of two creatures together and used her speed to slice off their heads, arms and legs in three swings before calling out to Scáthach, who was on the other side of the room fighting her own battle.

"This is useless if we keep letting them regenerate. We need to find a way to stop them from doing that!" Rider shouted, dodging two sets of arms that extended to attack her by doing a backflip.

"I'm aware of that!" Scáthach responded loudly.

After having said that, Scáthach stepped forward in front of one and thrust Gáe Bolg forward, uncaring of the small bit of blood that landed on her left cheek as the sharp tip of the spear pierced through its forehead in one clean movement. But, she did not stop her attack from there.

Knowing what to expect, Scáthach let go of the spear, willing it to vanish, before she pulled back right hand, as if readying herself to swing a weapon.

In a split second, she summoned an elegant-looking sabre with a dark red blade and a black handle, which she also imbued with the Gae Bolg's cursed effect.

She then used the new weapon in her hand and swung it across the creature's neck, cutting off its head cleanly in one motion.

Returning the scene to Rider, the purple-haired retainer dodged the dangerous arms that extended freakishly towards her from three directions with a smooth turn of her heel.

Her glossy lavender hair flowing through the air was a magnificent sight to see, moving with her as she returned the favor by picking the three creatures off one by one starting from the left.

When she got to the third and made quick work of her target, Rider noticed something strange.

She was about to do a roundhouse kick to move the creature away from her before it can start to regenerate again, but then she saw a large part of its upper left torso fluctuating wildly, like a balloon shrinking and inflating on repeat at a very high speed.

The reaction was not even normal, considering as it had started from the upper part of its left breast before it spread up to its left shoulder.

Immediately, she remembered that the area of where the skin reacted wildly was the one that she stabbed the sharp tip of her scythe before.

Also, it might just be her imagination, but Rider thought she heard something pop right after she stabbed that particular spot of its upper body.

The creature seemed to be stunned, groaning as if in pain, staggering back for a moment before it regained its composure and walked towards her again.

As the fight continued, Rider gradually became curious, and soon, an idea started to form in her head.

She began to focus her enhanced hearing, multitasking as she avoids the creature's attacks while being mindful of the others that finished regenerating.

Sure enough, numerous heartbeat-like sounds entered her ears and she found that they were all coming from the creatures in the room.

Rider had missed it earlier because of the first creature that came in the room, but it was how she discovered its location before it arrived.

Based on her findings earlier, she discovered that they (the creatures) were cold in temperature. She didn't made skin contact with any of them, but whenever she gets close in range to attack before kicking them away from her, she found that they seemed to emit no warmth, which caused her to conclude that they are really dead.

This discovery led her to believe that there is something that allows them to function, probably a parasite of some sort, which would explain the brief noise and the creature's reaction earlier.

'_I must have destroyed one earlier, and there is definitely more than one if it still moves like that. That's probably why they can keep on regenerating too_. _I'll just have to find out if my theory works. If not, then destroying their bodies entirely will have to be the last option._' Rider mused.

After noting where she heard the pulsing noises, Rider began testing her theory by targeting one of the creatures nearby.

Pulling her right arm back, Rider threw the spear-like metal (that was attached to the chains) towards the creature, which landed perfectly on its right lower body near its hip.

'_So, I was right..._' Rider smiled in her success, watching it stagger and groaned in pain.

Not letting an opportunity go to waste, she used her unnatural speed to get closer up front and lodge her scythe deep into right shoulder. Then, she immediately went behind it and stabbed the creature on its lower back, all of which she accomplished within five seconds.

With quiet anticipation, Rider quickly moved away as she watched the creature's entire upper body start to fluctuate wildly.

The creature groaned loudly in obvious pain, nearly bending over before…

*** Pop ***

Its upper body exploded, spilling blood and bits of internal organs everywhere, leaving its lower part behind as it fell down on the ground.

Confident in her theory, Rider went in and began her counterattack.

She used the same method as she had done before and then moved far away once she was finished, watching as the four creatures die in a similar manner as the first one.

Breathing in deeply, Rider mentally thanked her Master's seemingly infinite magical energy as she felt the few nonfatal wounds she gained healed quickly.

Rider turned and was about to lend her fellow retainer a hand when she heard a commotion in Scáthach's direction.

The first thing that she noticed was that Scáthach looked mighty irritated, which rarely ever occurs.

The closest thing that can get under the woman's skin were dirty insects (cockroaches, a few certain male Heroic Spirits, etc.), lack of attention from their Master (this, she knew by instinct), and things that reminded her of the place that she once called home and prison. **(3)**

Curious and amused, Rider stood by the sidelines and watched as the crimson eyed woman clicked her tongue.

Just by looking at her body language, she can tell that Scáthach's patience had reached its limit and things usually get destroyed whenever that happens.

As she expected, Scáthach's actions were predictable as she seems to finally decide not to hold back anymore.

With her arms crossed beneath her bosom, Rider silently observed the incoming carnage before her.

…

"Ugh..." Scáthach muttered in disgust, crimson eyes narrowed in irritation.

Scáthach had been trying to kill the creatures for a while now, but so far, no progress was made.

The entire endeavor would have been more tolerable if not for the creatures' tendency to become grabby with their freakish hands, their random biting moments and their regeneration ability, which was somewhat tiring to see every time she mutilate one or two of them.

While not usually bothered with gore and their eerie appearance, Scáthach was getting irritated that her enemies today don't seemed to die at all. She can only handle so much gore in one day, and getting some bits of their internal organs stain her favorite clothes was what annoyed her the most.

No, it didn't have anything to do with the fact that she was complimented by her Master in the past with the outfit.

Even Scáthach wouldn't be that dramatic.

Seeing more blood get on her clothes, Scáthach glared at the creatures venomously.

"You filth are going to pay for this…!"

Right after she said those words, Scáthach went on the attack, and attack she did.

Since there were only six creatures left, she went for the first that was nearby.

Creating a crimson spear beside her and charging it with her magical energy, causing it to be broken in the process given by the power she put in it, Scáthach threw the legendary weapon with enough force that it rendered the creature's body to be pinned to the floor by its waist.

Then, the spear exploded, which blew the creature's body into pieces.

Scáthach turned her attention to the others and three more creatures suffered the same fate like the first as she summoned more spears that is overcharged with prana as well.

"Begone." Scáthach growled.

With a slight wave of her left arm, she let the spears fall upon their targets like strong arrows from the heavens, denoting them once they hit.

Immediately after, Scáthach closed in on the fifth and did a spinning kick that landed on the creature's stomach, causing it to fly to the other side and get pinned on the wall.

As soon as she finished turning, Scáthach made another spear, twirling it around her right hand before throwing it towards her target.

Said spear landed on the creature's chest before it exploded as she desired it to be.

A moment later, Scáthach somersaulted backwards and avoided being tackled to the ground by the last sixth creature in the room.

Landing into a crouch, she looked up and pointed her right hand at the creature, who broke into a dash after she avoided its attack.

Beneath its feet, a two meter circle of primordial runes glowing with an ominous red light appeared and the creature found itself unable to move.

With the target restrained, Scáthach skewered its body with a bunch of crimson spears that suddenly appeared from the ground within the circle.

Then, she willed for the Gae Bolgs to detonate like little grenades, and the creature's body exploded into bits and pieces of rotten flesh as a result.

With a huff, Scáthach glared at the bloody spot distastefully as she stood up from her kneeling form.

She turned to look at Rider, who seemed to be observing her fight with a small smile on her lips.

"What?" Scáthach asked, one brow raised in curiosity.

"I was going to tell you about how to kill them, but it seems that you can handle them without my help anyways." Rider answered, looking slightly amused.

Scáthach looked around the room, seeing the remains of the creatures she killed before turning Rider with a calm expression.

"I think I got it." Scáthach said nonchalantly with a nod.

"I can tell." Rider smirked, her tone a bit sarcastic.

Their brief moment of respite was abruptly came to an end as they felt a massive surge of a familiar dark magical energy flood the entire building.

"Ugh, don't tell me…" Scáthach groaned wearily.

"Yes, more of those things." Rider affirmed, her gaze focused towards the entrance doors. "And they are coming up here quickly."

Scáthach sighed but remained looking unaffected by the news she heard, which caught Rider's attention.

"Scáthach, I don't think that this is the time for us to be relaxed right now given the numbers of those things." Rider cautioned.

"I know that. In fact, I kind of expected something like this to happen. I have a solution that might fix this situation." Scáthach answered, turning on heel to walk towards the window.

"How?" Rider asked curiously.

Looking over her shoulder, Scáthach gave her fellow retainer a mysterious yet alluring smile that can make most men grow weak in the knees.

"You'll see."

…

* * *

…

Thirty minutes later, news of an infamous old asylum in the north made the headlines in the city's local channels.

There, the abandoned building was reported to have been destroyed as a group of locals (who were only passing by) had seen it to be on fire and most of its walls were in absolute ruins.

Police suspected that a great amount of explosives had been placed around the building to reduce it into such a damaged state, but they have yet to find the suspects and their motives behind the destruction.

…

* * *

…

Arash, Dia and Yan Qing had arrived to the district that was assigned to them by their Master.

Once they did, they came to a large warehouse that was somewhat old in appearance, but they found that it was not occupied as they were no signs of any people within the vicinity. Some windows were broken, the paint on the walls were peeling off, dust and dirt were on the floor, and among other things.

The first and second areas they checked gained no results, and this was the third building that they would be inspecting.

After deploying the '**Finis**', they went inside and saw the interior, realizing that the building seems to be in good condition.

The warehouse was just vacant and currently not in use, which explained the reason why it felt abandoned.

At least, that was how it would appear to a normal observer.

Having a certain amount of experience in hunting and tracking down people in their past lives, the three male servants had spent almost an hour and a half inspecting every inch of the building for any clues that would help their Master's investigation over the case.

Most of the time, what they found were quite misleading, but it was Arash who came upon a promising lead in the end.

The brown-skinned retainer found a hidden underground passage on the first floor of the warehouse.

It was thanks to his ability, '**Clairvoyance**', that Arash was able to notice the slight gap on the ground. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to see it.

Unfortunately, they quickly realized that it was protected behind a powerful barrier, which prevented them from taking a closer look.

But, it was a good thing that Dia was in their group. Or else, they would have no choice but to inform their Master and wait for him to get to their location to dismantle the barrier in person.

With the help of one of Dia's weapons, the male trio were able to enter the passage safely.

Beneath the passage, there was a short hallway and twin doors at the end of it.

When they opened the doors, they found themselves inside a large private study, and adjacent to it was another room of equal space.

The study appeared like any other ones they had seen before. It has a large desk with a small lamp on it, a black office chair, a small chandelier and a burgundy carpet.

What stood out the most are the items that were on display on the shelves located in the left side of the room.

Oddly enough, the bookshelves on the right was not the one that was filled to the brim with books.

Instead, it was the one on the left that was full, but instead of books, on display were the many glass jars with various objects inside that looked disturbingly familiar.

Upon closer inspection, they soon realized that the 'objects' were actually different parts of an animal and a human's anatomies.

Inside each of them, there was an eye, a brain, a hand, an organic tissue of some kind and more.

Some of things inside the glass jars seemed to be alive, which disturbed Yan Qing the most, seeing as he went green for a moment when he saw a brain twitched.

Arash and Dia felt pity for him once they noticed that his skin was paler than usual when the next thing that Yan saw a grotesque-looking heart that had white worms infesting inside of it.

On the other hand, the second room has a different setting as it has a tiled flooring and white walls.

It has a clinical theme to it. There were three operating tables, surgical and exam lights, various surgical equipment and more that were usually seen in operating rooms in a hospital are inside, which made them realized its true purpose.

"Well, it's official. This is a Magus's workshop, alright. That room in the other side is a dead giveaway for what it is for." Arash stated with a sigh.

"Oh gee, I wonder what gave it away. Is it these things that did?" Yan said sarcastically, pointing at the disturbing things on display.

Arash was about to reply, but then he stopped and chuckled instead when he saw the long-haired retainer retracted his finger quickly once he noticed the white worms were crowding closer against the glass, despite being prevented by it.

Shaking his head, Arash had to restrain his laughter at Yan's look of disgust as he glared at the worms.

"Ugh, I can only thank the Buddha that our Master is not like most Magi. I don't I can take more of this kind of shit." Yan groaned.

"I thought you've seen these kinds of disturbing things before?" Arash asked, curious.

"I did, but not to the extent of being grossed out. Even this is too much for me, man!" Yan complained.

Feeling mischievous, Arash looked at the shelf and saw something interesting.

"What about this one? It doesn't look bad." Arash said, his head titled slightly as he stared at it.

Yan walked closer to Arash and stared at the one glass jar that his fellow retainer pointed out.

"Oh? Yea–" Yan stopped and inspected closer, then his comely face soured. "Dude, that's a head in a jar. That's disgusting!"

Nearby the two was Dia, who appeared to be observing the room with a calm and stoic façade.

Ignoring Arash's laughter and Yan's cussing, Dia walked around the study and noticed a lone painting to the left of the desk.

It was an image of a man who was nailed on a cross. His features were obscured, blurred more like, but his pain and suffering was clear to be seen.

The painting was beautiful yet eerie at the same time, but there was something peculiar about it that made him suspicious.

With narrowed eyes, Dia came up to it and slowly worked on taking it off of the wall.

Noticing their fellow retainer's actions, Arash and Yan stopped their antics and walked towards him.

Having an idea of what Dia was doing, the two can't help but make comments on his actions.

"Hey, Dia, you do know that stuff only works in movies, right?" Arash asked, a bit skeptic.

"Yeah, dude. So, c'mon, lay off the painting." Yan added, equally skeptic and also looking a bit bored.

Instead of answering, Dia merely continued his actions and silenced their doubts when he finally took the painting off of the wall.

The two skeptic retainers became quiet as a mouse once the appearance of a black safe was revealed before their eyes.

After setting the painting to the side, Dia turned to look at the two gaping servants with a small smirk.

"You were saying?" The spear user inquired, looking pleased.

Shaking off their surprise, Arash and Yan crowded around Dia, who was staring at the safe with a thoughtful frown.

"I thought this shit only happens in movies. I call bullshit on that, man!" Yan exclaimed, grinning.

"Ha ha ha, I second that." Arash chuckled, amused.

"Still, how'd you know it was there in the first place?" Yan asked, curious.

"There's a dark energy within the safe." Dia answered, looking solemn.

"Ah, so that's how." Arash said in surprise.

"And here I thought you were just playing around, man. Was about to scold you too." Yan chuckled.

"Ha ha, same here!" Arash grinned, unrepentant.

The two easy-going retainers were unmoved by the mild glare that Dia gave them before the latter turned back to the black safe.

"Then, I should get to work now. There must be something worth of value in that safe, and it might help with milord's investigation." Dia said as he took a few steps forward.

"Well, don't let us stop you there, man." Yan said with a grin as he stood to the side.

"Yeah, do your thing, Dia." Arash encouraged, following the long-haired man's action.

The two male retainers watched as Dia stepped closer to the black vault, and summoned a red spear in his right hand with a magnificent display of little gold particles.

The scarlet spear was two meters long, and it was wrapped in a purple talisman cloth to seal its abilities, but the sharp blade of the weapon was exposed.

The spear in question was '**Gάe Dearg**', and it has the ability to severe the ties of magical enhancements and projections, nullifying them.

In this case, the spear was the perfect tool to be used, just as he had done before.

Once he got into a stance, Dia shoved the scarlet spear to stab at the vault permeating a black miasma.

When the tip of the spear made contact with the smoke, the dark magical energy dissipated immediately, which was the typical reaction that they all expected.

What happened after though, was something unexpected.

After Dia had opened the safe through brute force, they saw a small stack of papers lying inside.

Before he can take it out however, they heard a beeping noise that pierced through the air, causing all three pair of eyes to widen in shock and realization.

"Move!" Arash shouted in warning.

Using their enhanced speed, the three servants quickly ran far away from the safe and ducked into the hallway.

With their backs against the wall, they soon heard a loud explosion that echoed throughout the warehouse, which made dust, smoke and debris of wood and cement to fly.

The three retainers coughed, waving the smoke away from their sight as they tried to see through it.

Inside, what greeted their eyes was a room filled with small debris of cement and wooden furniture.

The explosion was strong enough to cause the foundation of where the vault was once located to cave in. In its place was a small rubble, and even the desk and the chandelier were not safe.

Fortunately, most areas of the study and the entrance to the lab were still accessible.

The three turned look at each other, shock and surprise clear on their faces.

"Well… damn." Yan said slowly, a bit astonished by what they experienced earlier.

"Indeed…" Dia agreed with a sigh, brushing off the dust and tiny debris off of his suit with one hand.

"Someone is clearly looking for trouble." Arash commented, scratching his head.

"No shit, man." Yan retorted that lacked any real heat.

"Anyways," Arash continued, ignoring Yan as he turned to Dia instead. "Did you take the files out safely?"

Raising his right hand up, Dia showed them the stack of papers, which looked a bit dusted but not damaged at the very least.

"Of course. I have it right here." Dia stated confidently, smirking a little.

"Good." Arash sighed in relief.

Out of the corner of his eye, Dia noticed the experimental Mystic Code hanging from Arash's belt.

"Arash, the Finis is blinking." Dia pointed to item.

Surprised, Arash and Yan swiveled their gazes to the former's belt.

"Whoa, it is blinking." Yan said in amazement.

As if to mock them, the Finis stopped flashing its light, causing the three to raised their brows in surprise.

"Now, it's not." Yan added in a deadpan voice.

Taking it off of his belt, Arash grabbed the object in his hand and inspected it closer.

"Didn't Master said that the Finis would only flash its light if there's an intruder nearby?" Arash asked, brows furrowed slightly.

"Yeah, that's what he said." Yan confirmed with a nod.

"Yes, that is also what I recalled as well." Dia added.

"Hmm…" Arash hummed in thought. "So, Master was right."

"About what? You mean the possibility of enemies stalking us in this city?" Yan asked with his brows raised for emphasis.

"Yup, sure seems like it." Arash turned to Yan with a teasing smile. "So, you noticed it too."

"Of course I did, I'm not like Pinky and the others, ya know." Yan said with a roll of his eyes.

Dia and Arash chuckled at the long-haired man's comment about their more naïve fellow retainers, which eased the tension in the room somewhat.

The three servants were still on guard should anything unexpected happens, despite their relaxed and casual mood.

Having his fill of amusement, Arash sighed wearily.

"Well, at least it's clear now that someone is really out there watching us." Arash stated, waving the object in his hand. "And this thing is damn good at detecting than any of us too."

"Yes, it is fortunate that Master has given us the Finis." Dia agreed with a solemn nod. "Otherwise, we would not have even known."

"We should get going then." Arash announced with another sigh, observing the mess in the room wearily. "The faster we get those papers to Master, the better."

"Amen to that, brother." Yan said in a faux solemn tone.

A moment later as they ascend the stairs that leads back to the entrance, Yan restarted the conversation with an offhand comment.

"Hey guys, ever think that Master is becoming all-knowing lately?" Yan began with a lopsided grin.

"Well, he does have that thing fused with him." Arash agreed with a small grin of his own.

"Ha ha, our little Master is growing up. Now, if only he can notice the flirty gazes in his way, he'd be a full grown man!" Yan laughed.

Even Dia, who would usually defend his liege from any negative comments related to him, was unable to deny the words.

In the end, he didn't speak and added his opinion, but merely nodded his head in agreement while offering a mental apology to his liege.

…

* * *

…

In another district…

"Achoo!"

A young man with bright, golden hair and cyan eyes used a white handkerchief to cover his nose and mouth as he suddenly felt the urge to sneeze.

Beside him, Arturia looked at him with concern in her beautiful emerald eyes.

"Are you okay?" She asked, gently laying a hand on his left arm.

Hadrian turned to look at her and smiled.

"I'm fine." He reassured her, sniffing a little. "Someone was probably talking about me."

Arturia nodded, a bit unsure but accepted his words regardless.

"Fou?"

"Kyu?"

Hearing those familiar sounds, Hadrian smiled as he glance at Fou, who was on his left shoulder, and Ryu, who was peeking its head out to look up at him from inside the satchel.

"Ha ha, I'm fine, you two. Thank you for the concern though."

After giving his two familiars some gentle rubs on their heads, Hadrian began to walk down a dark hallway with Arturia beside him.

Hadrian and his retainers had recently finished searching the other buildings in their designated district, and they came up with no results. There were a notable few, but nothing that can really help with the case. The current one is their seventh time, but it was not included in the list.

No, the one they are searching in was actually an area that piqued Hadrian's interest.

Situated near the mountains, there was an old two-story mansion in ruins, and said building was the one they are in at the moment.

According to the files, the mansion in question once belonged to a wealthy family of no magical ties, which was proven to be wrong when Hadrian used the Moon Cell to find more about out its history.

In the Automaton's archives, there he found an important information that what was stated in the report seemed to be a cover.

In reality, the mansion actually belonged to an old magi family that was now extinct.

'**Zepter**' was the name of the magi family.

Based on his findings, the Zepter clan had originated from Bavaria in southern Germany. Somewhere in the mid-century, they had reached and migrated secretly in Canada.

The old mansion Hadrian and his retainers were exploring was the Zepter's ancestral home in North America, though abandoned now after the last heir (and member) to the house was hunted down and killed by two freelance magi, Natalia Kaminski and Kiritsugu Emiya, a long time ago.

Interestingly enough, Hadrian noticed Arturia's normally calm and regal façade twitched slightly when he mentioned the latter's name.

When he asked her about it, the female servant simply said…

'_It is nothing of any concern. You are imagining it, Master._'

…

Hadrian begged to differ, especially when she uttered the words in a rather cold tone, so he had the right to be concerned.

But, after noticing her reluctance with the subject, Hadrian let it wane and simply made note to bring it up again in the future when things have settled down.

They have been exploring the mansion for quite a while now, about forty minutes by Hadrian's estimation.

Since the mansion was quite big, Hadrian had to split the party into two.

Charles, Astolfo and Kieran were together, and they would cover the west wing, while Hadrian and Arturia would search the east wing.

Speaking of the three, Hadrian frowned slightly, hoping that they are not slacking off and are actually doing some work.

Although, that might as well be wishful thinking on his part, considering as this was the three retainers in question.

Hadrian huffed, catching Arturia's curious gaze for a moment.

When she bumped his shoulder to get his attention, he gave her a small weary smile before turning his gaze to the front.

"Just hoping that Charles and those two are not fooling around." Hadrian said quietly.

Hearing those words, Arturia also cannot help but smile in resignation.

"Knowing them, the chances of that occurring is quite low." Arturia said honestly, making Hadrian sighed.

"I hope not…" The cyan eyed Master muttered.

Distracting himself from the troublesome retainers, Hadrian focused on the task at hand by spreading out his magical senses as they walked down a dark spacious hallway.

While the mansion was no longer in active, it did not mean that it had no possible dangers lurking about.

Before he left England, his grandfather had given him a map of the city and pointed out areas of interest to Hadrian during the briefing.

When he mentioned of an old mansion that once belonged to an extinct magi family, Hadrian's interest had been piqued since then, especially after he had done his research about the Zepter family's background and their preference in Magecraft. Therefore, it was not at all surprising that Hadrian would want to see the mansion for himself.

His idle interest, however, turned into suspicion when the Moon Cell had provided confusing information about the mansion when he looked into the database last night.

Based on the records, the Zepter mansion had been visited in the past, and the most recent was several months ago.

But, that was not what made him suspicious. No, it was the fact that the automaton had not given him any additional information beyond the mansion being visited in the past.

Before this case, Hadrian was always given complete information about anything that he wants the Moon Cell to find. Also, having the Moon Cell fused with his soul does not mean that he is omniscient and is all-knowing. No, far from it. If such a thing was possible, then he has yet to gain that level of experience in handling the ancient artifact.

Rather, his method to use the Moon Cell's abilities was quite simple.

It would be akin as to having a supercomputer in his mind, one that has an unrivaled internet connection and has plenty of reality-bending softwares.

In the case of finding information, Hadrian has to give the Moon Cell a keyword related to the subject, and the automaton will quickly deliver.

Which brings him back to the main issue, why did the Moon Cell gave him incomplete information about the mansion when it hadn't in the past?

The question plagued his mind yesterday and now.

He encountered a few cases such as this before, but did not look too deeply into it. It was something that he merely took note of, but didn't really had time to delve into. Now, he was having trouble with one, of which was related to the case, Hadrian knew that he cannot put on hold anymore.

It became among the reasons why Hadrian had decided to call his grandfather last night, and his suspicion only rose after the older man had advised him to visit the mansion in person.

And when Hadrian finally saw the building, he realized right away that there was something amiss.

The feeling became more insistent the closer he got to the main private office that once belonged to the Head of Zepter house.

While abandoned and most of its property in ruins, the mansion gave off an eerie vibe that can make most people hesitant to venture into.

Fortunately, Hadrian is unlike most people nor is he inexperienced with dangerous places.

He had ventured a lot of dark dungeons to collect treasures and weapons in his first life, after all. Sometimes, even without his friends/retainers present and by his lonesome.

Still, the hallway was rather dark, but at least the many windows to their left has helped ward off the shadows and lighten up their way.

Hadrian's musings halted when he felt something touch the fingers of his left hand.

It was soft, smooth and has a certain warmth that he was quite familiar with.

Blinking, Hadrian slowly turned his gaze to the left and saw Arturia looking away to her left with the same regal and calm façade that she usually wore.

She appears as the same old Arturia he knew, but the red tinted blush on her cheeks and the way her hand tried to get a hold of his without making it too obvious had given her act away for him.

'_This woman, she really can't be lax with herself_…' Hadrian smiled in resignation.

Near the end of the war, other than becoming more feminine and open to him, Arturia adopted a strange habit of holding his hand whenever the two of them are alone.

As cruel and brutal as the event had been, there were moments that somehow made everything he endured that time all the more worth surviving, and among them were the good memories that he made with Arturia. What they have now was a testament to everything that they had undergone since then.

The war in the Moon was only the catalyst to their fateful meeting, but what they went through together made their bond stronger and evolve into something unique. It was a topic that Hadrian thought to bring it up at first. Her habit of holding his hand, that is.

But, whenever he saw how Arturia seems to be shy and embarrassed by her actions, he relented in silence and let her do as she wish. **(4)**

As amusing as for him to see her blush and become skittish like a newborn doe, Hadrian doesn't want to overwhelm her with his teasing too much and make her doubt herself. He rather liked the way she was becoming. Before, she was quite strict with herself, always calm, loyal, and ever so dutiful. Now, she was still herself, but more open, a bit relaxed and comfortable with her own skin.

Thus, if his silence was the price to subtly encourage Arturia to become more like herself, then so be it.

From then on, when Arturia tries to hold his hand, Hadrian would simply let her and not say a word about it.

Hadrian did not mind her holding his hand from time to time. In truth, he felt it was rather nice and would even laced their fingers together, such as now.

Deciding to indulge her desire, Hadrian gently held her hand in his and intertwined them, his smile widen when he heard her gasp softly and felt her surprised gaze upon him.

Not wanting to scare her away, he kept his attention to the front and remained calm, but he gave her hand a light squeeze to let her know that he doesn't mind holding hands with her.

Seconds later, Hadrian felt her step closer to him, almost leaning on him with only a few inches gap between them.

Knowing her, Hadrian does not need to look at Arturia to know that she was smiling by now. He had seen enough of it in the past, and the sight of it alone never failed to make him smile in return.

Without further ado, the Master and Servant duo walked hand-in-hand in comfortable silence as they made their way to the private study.

The trip was short, and soon, they found themselves inside the room.

Hadrian had let his familiars roam around, depositing the brown satchel inside the Armiger Arsenal for the time being as he and Arturia observed the new area.

Like any other study that belonged to a Magus, the office was spacious and once reeked of opulence. It still has a desk, a chair, two couches and a carpet, but they were all worn down and didn't stand to survive the test of time. Some of the walls were broken too, but it was only the window behind the desk that looked good in condition.

The shelves were already absent of stuff, and no books can be found, which was understandable since the study once belonged to a Magus.

If there was one thing he learned about magi, it was that they are hoarders of knowledge, and Hadrian himself can attest to that fact.

With a sigh, Hadrian turned to Arturia and smiled at her softly.

"Time for me to go to work." He said, regret and wistfulness clear in his voice.

"Then, I will keep watch." Arturia returned his smile.

"I'll let you know once I'm done."

Giving Arturia's hand one last gentle squeeze, Hadrian slowly unclasped his hand from hers and walked towards the center of the room.

Taking a deep breath, he exhaled and closed his eyes as he stood there.

'_Okay, Moon Cell, prepare for inspection_.' Hadrian gave a mental command.

A moment later, he opened his eyes and small blue screen appeared in front of him with the texts colored in black. **(5)**

The experience would be similar to seeing a window screen in video games, except this was reality and he was the only one who can see it.

**[Preparations are ready.]**

**[Initiate scan of the room?]**

'_Yes_.' Hadrian accepted the prompt.

**[Initiating...]**

In one second, the room was washed over with blue magical energy that cannot be seen by anyone but him. He had seen it done before, and proof of it was when the blue energy washed over Arturia as well, but she was oblivious to it as she simply continued to remain vigilant by observing her surroundings with keen eyes.

It begun from where he stood, spreading all over everything in the vicinity and leaving nothing uncovered before it vanished as soon it appeared.

Another second passed, the window appeared again, but smaller in size.

**[Scan complete.]**

'_Thank you_.' Hadrian smiled in satisfaction. '_Now, let's get to work_. _But, what's first?_'

Looking around the room, his gaze landed upon the old kind-of-broken desk and he let his feet take him there, stopping in front of it.

'_How about this one? Moon Cell, pull up the recent history of this object_. _Limit the range to 30 years to present time only._'

**[Collecting data…]**

**[Data complete.]**

**[View now?]**

'_Yes_.'

Memories related to the object flooded in his mind, causing him to close his eyes as he focused on watching the events.

There were not a lot, though that might be due to the last member and heir to the Zepter house being killed over a hundred years ago. Most of the time, the desk was untouched for years, but recently, it had been tampered with. No, searched would be the proper word to describe it, and it seemed to have occurred about nine years ago.

What was interesting about the memory is that Hadrian cannot see the person who searched the desk, only their silhouette highlighted in blue was seen, but that was provided by the Moon Cell.

'_Hmm… no face, gender, name or literally anything helpful to pinpoint this person for me_. _Well, there's the height_. _I suppose that's something_.'

Hadrian opened his eyes and tilted his head slightly, humming in thought. He crossed his arms over his chest as an idea formed in his mind.

'_I wonder_… _Was their footsteps recorded?_'

Hadrian looked down, expecting to see foot marks in blue and white highlights on the floor, only to be surprised that there was nothing to be seen.

He even double-checked it by pulling up the map, and once again, he saw nothing but his own and Arturia's in the room.

'_No footsteps, no anything. This is a first_. _It was as if everything was cleaned. Not only that, but the memory stops from thereon. The memories of the last heir were still embedded within this item, but the ones with the person who last searched this desk isn't there. No, it's more like it's gone._'

Hadrian sighed.

"The hell is going on…" He muttered under his breath.

Curious by her Master's downturned mood, Arturia stopped her surveillance and stepped closer to him.

"Is there something wrong?" She asked softly, laying a hand gently on his arm.

Turning his gaze, Hadrian gave her a faint smile.

"Yes, but I'll tell you later after we return. I don't think it's appropriate for us to discuss it here."

After seeing Arturia's reluctant nod, Hadrian stepped away from her and the desk, then he looked around the room for anything worth of his interest.

As his eyes landed upon every object in the study, Hadrian scanned each of them to test out his theory, which lasted for two minutes since he diligently went through each item.

But as he expected, the Moon Cell gave him no valuable data that can be useful.

Unable to resist the urge, Hadrian slowly took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing for the second time.

"How troublesome…" Hadrian muttered, laying a hand to the back of his neck in exasperation.

After deactivating the Moon Cell's sensory phase, he was about to put his glasses on again when a painful headache stopped him from doing so, causing him to dropped his glasses on the floor. A bit of sweat had appeared on the side of his temple, but it was incomparable to the headaches that kept coming in waves, making him unable to move for a few moments as he endured it.

Hadrian can feel his head throb in pain, his pulse ringing in his ears, but what was more painful was the feeling of something opening and filling up in some lower part of his brain.

It was a strange sensation, really. The experience was unlike anything he had felt before, even in his first life.

But, at the same time, it was not something he was unfamiliar with.

When Hadrian was young, his grandfather found out that he has Mystic Eyes.

Mystic Eyes were typically single-action sorceries possessed by the magi. It happens when there was some sort of mutation in the Magic Circuits located in the area around one's eyes. Also, it can be said that acquisition of one is the mark of a first class magus since it grants them great power while being easy to conceal.

The most powerful of mystic eyes are those which are possessed from birth, and according to his mentors, only a select few had been noted to be born with one.

Coincidentally, Hadrian is among those people in question.

Furthermore, his mystic eyes seemed to be different from the rest. His grandfather explained to him that it was among the rarest and unique kind, terming it as a powerful hybrid-type.

The '**Mystic Eyes of Death Perception**', that was the name of his mystic eyes.

With it, Hadrian can see the '**death**' of things. It is a unique ability that allows him to grasp the death of living things as points and lines. Regardless of being organic or inorganic, the mystic eyes allows him to '**read**' into the primary factor of death in '**living**' things (things that he perceives as 'alive') and visualizes it as a phenomenon that can be interfered with.

The world observed from the mystic eyes of direct death is a landscape of ending filled with 'lines and points of death' highlighted in a bright red color, and a proper mental structure would have trouble in daily life, much like him in this regard. His mystic eyes awakened during the war, which was a bad time for it to show in his opinion.

In perfect clarity, he recalled it happened after he had been poisoned by Dan Blackmore's Servant, **Robin Hood**, during the war.

He was close to being killed by the poison, but Hadrian found a way to stop it from spreading throughout his body. He only needed to destroy the tree in the Area to end the curse (poison). Then, when he had decided to visit the Chapel to strengthen Arturia's parameters, it was then the headaches began.

He had been caught off guard by them too, and when he opened his eyes after, what greeted his sight was a world filled with lines and points of death.

It was a memory that he would never forget, especially after Arturia came into view during that time.

Hadrian grimaced slightly.

Seeing Arturia, one of the people important to him, literally fall apart like diced meat while still talking to him was one of the worst memories he had in mind. It was to his lament that Hadrian can never forget an image once after he sees it, no thanks to his photographic memory.

Hadrian was forced endure the headaches and his new power that he was horrified to possess.

He did not have the slightest clue of what was happening to him that time, and he was afraid to touch anything, much less look, once his intuition told him something dangerous about the highlighted red lines and points he kept seeing on everything. It didn't help that his vision kept flickering back and forth from normal and to the unnatural scene.

Luckily, a pair of female siblings noticed his predicament and one of them introduced an item to him, which is called the '**Mystic Eyes Killers**'.

Of course, like all things in the war, nothing was free. The female Magus with short blue hair and a cigarette on her lips sold the spectacles to him at the price of 100,000 **QP** (**Quantum Particles**, the currency in the moon grail war), while the younger sibling offered to make the glasses '_indestructible_', as she puts it, at the price of 50,000 QP. **(6)**

Hadrian's e-wallet that time had cried tears of blood, but any negative feelings he might have had on the matter disappeared when the two siblings gave him two Mystic Eyes Killers as their parting gifts after the event.

It was a dangerous power, surely, but not one that Hadrian was surprised to have, oddly enough.

'_Strangeness runs in the family, after all_…' Hadrian mused, recalling the history of the Lucis Caelum.

If anything, he kind of expected to obtain an ability related to death, given his family's (the Lucis Caelum) history and relations with the astral goddess of death, Etro.

As the old man had told him before, it was better to have the power and not need it than to never have it at all.

But more importantly, his grandfather had told him that the cause of his random headaches was due to the magic circuits in his eyes expanding to his brain, increasing in numbers, as the time goes on.

Hence, the extreme pain he was feeling under at the moment.

What was worse, the episodes were random that it often catches him off-guard, much like what has happened now.

The pain took several minutes to pass, and he endured it all with gritted teeth and in pained silence.

When Hadrian came to and slowly opened his eyes, he was a bit shocked to find himself being embraced by Arturia.

No, embraced was the wrong word to use. Instead, it was more like he was being supported by Arturia, who had no choice but to put her arms around him to keep him standing.

'_Hmm, it explains the reason why she's avoiding my gaze_…' Hadrian mused, observing the way her emerald eyes were looking to the other direction.

Feeling his attention upon her, Arturia glanced at him in the corner of her eyes and spoke.

"You were about to collapse on the floor. I had to catch you." Arturia explained softly.

Then, she broke her gaze away as the color on her cheeks brightened the longer Hadrian stared at her, unconsciously tightening her embrace out of nervousness.

With his heart swelling in fondness and warmth, Hadrian's gaze turned soft and gentle as he memorized the shape of Arturia's beautiful countenance.

'_What would I do without you, Saber_…_? I wonder if we would still meet if the war had not happened. Will you still answer my call? Will you still be my servant?_'

Swallowing down his sadness and selfish thoughts, Hadrian let himself focus on the moment.

Still, the former lingered in his heart as he stood up on his own strength to lessen the burden on Arturia, causing her to sigh and slowly put her arms away.

But, to her surprise, Hadrian didn't stepped away from her. Instead, he pulled her closer and returned the gesture, which seemed to honestly catch her off-guard.

"Hadrian, wha–what are you doing?!" Arturia stuttered, her cheeks a bright rosy color now.

He didn't answer her. Instead, he tightened his embrace, leaving Arturia to place her arms beneath his own again to not cause him any discomfort.

When he remained silent for a while, Arturia became concerned.

Through their bond, she can feel his melancholy, and she had a feeling that it might be related to her.

Arturia was about to ask him so, but he surprised her once again when he finally spoke.

"Do you…" Hadrian started, whispering softly near her ear. "Do you remember our promise?"

Bright emerald eyes blinked in surprise as Arturia processed those words.

'_What's gotten into you…?_' She mused, concerned for her Master.

Closing her eyes for a moment, Arturia tried to calm her wildly beating heart as she chose her words carefully.

"Of course, I can never forget that." She answered, lowering her gaze to his beautiful white neck.

Arturia stiffened.

She just realized that she was actually nose-to-nose and staring at her Master's beautiful collarbone for quite a while now, which caused the rosy blush on her cheeks to brighten once more. The wild thumping of her heart did not help as she felt the muscles of his front with her body and the contours of his majestic back with her hands.

Arturia was perfectly aware of her Master's insanely attractive features, and she was reminded of it every time of the day.

But, that was in small doses. Today seems to be her (un)lucky day, however.

Hoping that her noisy heart would not be heard, Arturia was beginning to feel a bit faint from all the private and up-close exposure that she was receiving today from her Master.

She was broken out of her musings when Hadrian spoke again.

"That's good to know." He whispered, pulling her closer to him.

While nervous and happy by her Master's bold move, Arturia felt a hint of desperation in his embrace, which concerned her greatly.

"What's wrong?" She asked him gently, unable to resist her silence anymore.

Arturia wanted to know what was going on in her Master's mind, and she can't exactly remain at ease whenever Hadrian was obviously feeling troubled.

Once again, she was surprised when Hadrian pulled away slightly but moved his face closer to her own.

Now, they are facing each other with only an inch distance between them as Hadrian gently rested his forehead upon hers.

'_He really does have beautiful eyes_…' was the idle thought that flew in her mind as she stared into them.

When he spoke once more, Arturia almost missed his answer.

"I missed you." Hadrian uttered the words in a soft tone, along with a gentle smile.

At the sight of such a beautiful image, Arturia's poor heart took a direct, massive hit.

His soft, tender gaze and the small dimples on his cheeks when he smiled didn't decrease his attractiveness in her eyes.

Instead, such features amplified his natural aesthetic beauty to the maximum, forcing her to break her gaze away once again, lest she finds herself enraptured by his abnormally strong allure.

'_So this is what a charmer is_…' Arturia thought dazedly, feeling her heart swell by his comfortable warmth and presence.

Recalling a certain Magus of Flowers in mind, Arturia found no comparison between **him** and her Master.

Heck, even his natural scent was making her lightheaded.

'_Yes, there is no comparison. Master's more natural at this than that man can ever be_. _Not that he is consciously trying to beguile me, he is simply genuine with his words and actions_.'

As she thought of this, Arturia wondered if that was a good or bad thing as she listened Hadrian continue.

"And…" Here, Hadrian's smile turned melancholic. "I was wondering about…"

"About?" Arturia gently encouraged him.

At this angle, the sadness in his eyes was clear to Arturia when he finally relayed his current troubles to her.

"About whether we would even meet if not for the war." Hadrian finished quietly.

Arturia blinked in surprise, not expecting for her Master to think that deeply and be troubled by the subject.

But then again, it was something that also troubled her from time to time.

While she was happy to have met Hadrian, there were some moments in the past that Arturia wished that they met under a different circumstance, particularly one that was not involved with bloodshed and war. However, as fate would have it, they met at the start of the war that was unlike any other, and like him, Arturia had no regrets in the end.

She simply wished for them to meet on a more normal setting that does not involved violence.

"I wonder about that myself as well." Arturia admitted quietly, gazing upon him with a sad smile. "But the two of us did meet, and while I would prefer it to be in a different setting, I am still happy to have met you. The vow I made to you then, I do not regret it. I wholly intend to follow through it to the very end, no matter what."

Hearing her words, Hadrian can't help but smile in relief and elation.

It felt like a huge weight was taken off his shoulders the moment he heard her answer, lightening up the shadows lurking inside his heart.

"Stay by my side, with all of yourself sworn unto me?" He repeated her oath, staring at her with imploring eyes.

Arturia smiled, this time in happiness and amusement.

"Always." She affirmed in a soft and gentle tone.

Satisfied with her reassurance, Hadrian closed his eyes in content and nuzzled his cheek against hers in comfort, pulling her closer in his embrace.

For her part, Arturia was blushing by her Master's actions, but she didn't pull away. Rather, she let herself be moved closer and sighed softly into his neck.

When he turned his head to her slowly, catching the sight of his full pink lips, Arturia made a decision.

Feeling something change in the air, Hadrian opened his eyes and noticed that Arturia seemed a bit closer than usual, her striking emerald eyes slowly fluttering close.

His idle observation came to an abrupt halt when a familiar scream pierce through the air, echoing throughout the mansion.

Hadrian and Arturia were jolted into attention, causing their comfortable embrace to break as they both turned to the twin doors in alarm.

"Arturia." Hadrian began, but Arturia already knew what he was about to say.

"I will go first." Arturia announced as she turned to him expectantly.

"I'll catch up to you, now go." Hadrian urged her.

After one last smile, Arturia dashed through the twin doors (of which was already opened) and down into the hallway.

Unlike her though, Hadrian was not worried, considering as he already checked his links with his retainers and no one seems to be in any danger.

'_Probably fooling around_…' Hadrian mused with a sigh, silently beckoning for his familiars to come to him.

Hadrian smiled when he saw Ryu picked up his glasses from the floor, and soon, hovered before him with the item in its small appendages.

"Kyu…" Ryu cooed, waiting for him to take it.

Hadrian chuckled, thanking the round familiar with a gentle pat on its head before taking glasses and putting it on again.

Picking up Fou, who was waiting for him patiently by his foot, with one hand, Hadrian settled her upon his left shoulder while Ryu made himself comfortable on his head.

With Fou and Ryu ready, he activated a small portion of his magic circuits to teleport to where Arturia was located, which was in the west wing.

In a flash of white, blue and gold sparks, Hadrian disappeared from the study and reappeared near Arturia, just a few steps away.

Arturia had her back to him, but even from where he was, he can feel the resignation and a bit of annoyance emanating from her.

Curious, Hadrian walked towards her and was about to ask when he saw a peculiar sight before him.

The first that he saw was Charles on the floor, hands and knees flat on the ground, looking like death warmed him over.

Upon closer inspection though, there was a flush on his cheeks and an annoyed glare on his face.

Said glare was currently directed at the two males that were currently laughing about like hyenas.

Astolfo was laughing with his hands on knees, almost keeling over.

Kieran was facing the wall, his shoulders shaking as he too tried to control his laughter.

Knowing their personalities, Hadrian had some idea of what happened, but he figured it was better to ask for clarification anyways.

"What is going on here?" He asked in a deadpan voice.

"Fu ha ha ha, Ch-Charles! He! He!" Astolfo tried to explain, but ended up laughing as he hold his stomach in pain, leaning against the wall.

Kieran didn't bother answer, busy as he was in getting his laughter under control.

Seeing that the two were no help, Hadrian turned his gaze to Charles instead, raising one brow for silent emphasis.

Coincidentally, Arturia copied his action, sans the raised brow.

Feeling their questioning gazes, Charles took a deep breath to calm himself and stood up from his prone position on the floor.

"These two morons…" Charles grounded, gnashing his teeth at the two males before turning back to them as he dusted himself. "– were fooling around instead of helping me search the building! Kieran here, the fucking shyster that he is, was sneaking around in the darkness and almost scared me to death! Astolfo even recorded the whole damn thing!" **(7)**

While he already expected it, Hadrian still cannot help but sigh, leveling a deadpan stare upon Astolfo and Kieran.

"Is this true, you two?" Hadrian inquired, subconsciously taking on a firm tone. "I thought I said to you guys to take this seriously."

After a minute or two, Kieran and Astolfo regained their composure, though they still chuckled from time to time.

Although, seeing their liege's reproaching stare made them sobered up quickly from their amusement.

"Eh, we were doing that at first, but it was getting boring. Sides, it was damn funny how Charles reacted when we scared him!" Astolfo said cheerfully, laughing at the end.

"I didn't know you had such a… manly scream, Charles. Want to try auditioning for horror movies or something?" Kieran teased, grinning widely.

"Shut up, Kieran!" Charles grounded out, looking quite annoyed and embarrassed. "The fuck were you doing there anyways, grunting like a moronic zombie?"

"Grunting like a zombie? I was trying to say hello to you." Kieran chuckled, looking unrepentant.

"Oh yeah, creeping around in the darkness and crouching in that corner? You're such a piece of shit, man. I almost shat myself, you know. Never gonna forgive for you that, I hope you're fucking proud of yourself." Charles grumbled.

For his part, Kieran didn't mind being cussed out and merely chuckled at the cheeky retainer's response.

Noticing how Astolfo started laughing (again) on the other side, Charles got annoyed and decided to punish the pink-haired servant.

Hadrian and Arturia watched as Charles conjured a few swords overcharged with prana and shot them forward, which landed on either sides of Astolfo's feet.

Unsuspecting to the assault, Astolfo quickly stopped laughing when he heard the wooden floor creak, hinting that it was breaking.

Next, his purple eyes widen comically before he screamed in surprise when he felt the ground beneath his feet gave up.

The swords disappeared as soon as they did their job, which was creating a man-sized hole around Astolfo's spot.

"Uwaaah!" Astolfo cried out, purple eyes glistening with tears as he nearly fell inside it.

Luckily, Astolfo managed to catch on to the edge, barely hanging on for dear life.

"Heeeeeelp!" Astolfo pleaded, feeling the wood bending due to his weight.

Hadrian and the others weren't worried for him though.

Astolfo is a servant with a mortal body that was in peak condition, not to mention strong in mind and body. In their point of views, Astolfo can survive almost anything.

Charles and Kieran were both laughing now, highly amused at the pink-haired retainer's misfortune.

On the other hand, Arturia and Hadrian sighed at the sudden turn of events.

Exasperated, Hadrian turned his head to the window and walked closer to it when he noticed a black smoke rising in the afternoon sky.

'_Why do I have a feeling that what happened there might be related to me?_'

Later on that night, he lamented at the fact that he hated being right sometimes.

…

* * *

…

Unbeknownst to them, there is a small spider that was observing Hadrian under the cover of the grass, unmoving and strangely only focused upon him.

Far away in an unknown location, there is someone who was watching the Schweinorg heir through the eyes of the arachnid.

Said someone was sitting on a chair, one hand up and against their right cheek to support their head. Their features were completely hidden, thanks to the absolute darkness that surrounded them.

But, the person wasn't bothered by it. Instead, he/she smiled at the sight of the target in their mind. **(8)**

"He he, found you, my little holy princeling!"

The smile on their face showed many teeth, sinister in nature, one of which can remind someone of a shark smelling the blood of their prey nearby.

"So innocent and looking gorgeous as ever. How I cannot wait to defile you, and make you mine…!"

…

* * *

**Author's Note**

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…

Okay, done with this one! :)

I apologize for the delay again guys. Life, in general, is just not the type to let up on its grip. So, every day has kept me busy and I'm getting rather worried about writer's block after the day is done. It's not about me lacking in ideas, it's more of lacking the time and energy to write. The motivation and energy to write a chapter just goes out the window once I start typing.

I even had to resort to playing FGO to reignite my love for the series, and boy, did I get my first surprise this year from the game.

Even today, I cannot believe that I actually got Scathach (Lancer) in my servant roster. Best roll ever! Wooot! \\\\\o/

Boy, telling you guys how surprised I was that time would be an understatement. I didn't really expected to get her. She just sneaked up on me. I had spent about only two multi-rolls when her banner came up and I was not hoping to get any five-star servants, much less her. I actually intended to waste some SQs to get a new five-star craft cards instead of servants, so I was really surprised by her.

What made my week even better was that I even got Hokusai in one multi-roll the next day. Shocked the hell outta me. I was trying to get Gilgamesh (Archer), but she came out instead. It's making me kinda wonder what is up with the good rolls lately. Just the other day, I saw a youtuber (who plays FGO in his channel) do some multi-rolls and most came out were Berserker class spooks.

Haha, his reactions to the spooks were damn funny. I highly recommend for you guys to watch it.

On the other hand, I hope the game is not glitching up again and the devs would be forced to put up some maintenance to fix it. I'm getting rather busy in gathering SQ to prepare myself to get Achilles and Skadi once they come out in the next few months. Gotta keep the writer's block at bay too.

That's why, the next chapter will probably be published somewhere around the third or fourth week of January.

I need those two weeks to rest, brainstorm and stock up some chapters once I have the time. I also need it to take my time with the next chapter, seeing as the next chapter's content is something that I don't think many authors had tried before. I've seen many fanfics of Fate series, but I have yet to see one that has relations to the next content because there is little material to draw influences upon.

The only hint I can give you guys is that the next content of the upcoming chapter is uncharted territory, and I need to take my time in doing it right.

So, please wait patiently until then.

Also, we're actually getting near to the time of when the MC will be going to the HP verse, but we're not quite there yet. Maybe after several chapters more, and then it'll be that time.

Anyways, that's enough of my rant. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and I enjoyed writing it, especially the three servants' banters (Charles, Astolfo and Kieran). I actually saw it happen in real life, so I was influenced to write that scene. Truthfully speaking, that scene is much funnier to see in real life than to read it.

And don't forget to leave a review, fave and (or) follow this story to remain up-to-date. Also, thanks again to the ones that did one, two or all of the above. I really appreciate the support, guys. Reviews often gives me strength to write, and it never fails to entertain me to read yours, so keep 'em coming.

See you guys in the third or fourth week of Jan (probably the latter, I'm sure). Adieu for now, and have a nice week! :D'

(Note: Do you guys want me to put up a Character Bio for Hadrian, one that includes his current parameters in the future? Do let me know guys.)

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…

**(1)** – If you have played Resident Evil 4, then you will know what kind of monster this one is, what it really looks like, and how creepy it is.

**(2)** – This scene was actually influenced by my thoughts about cursed spears like Gae Bolg and Gάe Buidhe. I mean, they are cursed spears that can inflict wounds that cannot be healed naturally or with magecraft, so I thought why not take it up a notch and make something tricky instead of letting the spears do their usual thing.

**(3)** – I'm obviously referring to the **Land of Shadows** in this paragraph, and as for the certain male servants, I'm sure you guys already know who they are.

**(4)** – I always wondered why the devs suddenly made Saber conscious of her… femininity (yes, that's actually a word) in the anime of the first Fate/Stay Night. The very first one, I mean. It was kind of too sudden in my opinion. Just because of some moments, Arturia suddenly became quite conscious of her body later in that anime. In this story, I'm just letting her take her time in being conscious and exploring her womanhood, so to speak. It just didn't feel right for me to simply write her suddenly turning feminine when she lived her first life as a man in the past.

**(5)** – I did say that this story is going to have some game elements, so here it is. The Moon Cell will act like a system for the MC, but no quests and no reward system. Except with those two, the Moon Cell is quite capable to act as a system for him. Among its capabilities are its ability to make superb calculations, scan, surveillance, and more. But, some of those powerful tools won't be useful soon. There's gotta be a limit to the Moon Cell's omnipotence! :3

**(6)** – Yes, I'm using the currency of FGO in this story instead of Fate/Extra's, which is the PT. I like the QP better though. In fact, I was even tempted to use the Saint Quartz as the currency, but those things are damn valuable, and I have respect to it since I worked damn hard in earning them in the game, so I have a better use for them later on. QP are much easier to gain in my opinion, seeing as I have like… 60 million plus in my FGO account from all the times I farmed in events. Not boasting or anything, just saying it really. Honestly, I care more about SQ than QP. I would trade all of my QP for a million of SQ's anytime in the game, just to summon my favorite servants. Unfortunately, reality is quite harsh… (T_T)

**(7)** – What Charles meant in this paragraph was related to Kieran's bond with Hadrian. Among the servants, he's the only one that Hadrian doesn't treat as a servant. Not only that, but Kieran's abilities are really subpar that he wouldn't even last against other Heroic Spirits, including his fellow retainers. Although, while he's the weakest among them, it doesn't mean that he can be taken down easily by enemies like humans and such. He's still a servant, after all.

**(8)** – Hide yo kids, hide yo wives and hide yo husbands! There's a creep on the loose! O_O

…

* * *

**Q & A**

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…

**Dxhologram:**

**A** – Actually, this is just a warm up. XD

We have several more chapters to go before the HP world comes into the story. I don't want the MC to leave the world of Fate yet since there's more to explore in the Fate verse. There are other characters in Fate that have yet to make an appearance.

You'll see what I mean. ;)

…

**Krowlein: **

**A** – How's that for romance? ;)

And don't worry, there'll be more Servants to come in the future, and it won't be Shirou or any of his alter versions. No offense to Shirou fans, but there are already too many fics out there with Shirou to last you guys a lifetime, I don't see any reason to have him in mine. (-_-)

With HP verse, I feel the same. I still feel salty about most of the things that happened in canon of HP, and the MC is going to do more than just 'fix' that messed up world.

Now, as for the next world in the sequel, that's a… secret! ;D

I jest, but you'll see once after we are done with this story, which will be quite a while. I want it to be a surprise, but I'm sure (95%) that it'll be something that harem lovers would very much like.

…

**Gen2324:**

**A** – Yes, he is quite a lucky bastard. If only I'm so lucky… (sigh)

As for him being naïve when it comes to romance, he is kind of like that. But, with the help of **Empathy** though, he'll be able to pick up on things that he finds strange, like what he felt from Arturia in this chapter for example. Remember how I stated in the previous chapter that their relationship has yet to move into the phase of romance.

In this chapter, their moment here is the spark and it's Arturia that is beginning to feel that way.

When it comes to things like bonds, especially romance, I feel like it's more proper to explore it in a slow paced manner. There's something more solid about an intimate relationship that builds up slowly instead of going along with the typical tropes like 'falling in love at first sight', know what I mean?

It doesn't feel right for me to rush this story's romance, especially in Arturia's case, who had never been in love before in her first life.

…

**Journey to the End:**

**A** – Ah my bad, I thought you implying about Hadrian's fight with Gil that time, and the what-ifs. (^_^')

And yes, that would actually be the perfect method to piss off a highly experienced Magician like Zelly We've all seen what sort of damages that Aoko Aozaki can do in her own visual novel, and it will be devastating if someone of Zelretch's caliber were to use his powers and go on an all-out warpath for revenge.

…

**Kensei-1085:**

**A** – I bet that certain astral is Bahamuth, ain't it? I think I read something about that novel, but not in great detail. Just some key points here and there.

And yes, Hadrian does have the Regalia. He was actually wearing it ever since he descended from the moon. I believe I've implied its existence during his fight against Gil, but it was vague, so I don't blame you for wondering.

…

**KingAllen:**

**A** – Yes, to both questions. He's going to be learning multiple Magics. I think only two or three, including the Kaleidoscope.

No worries, that spell is quite unique for him, so no other Magi will be able to learn it, even his own kids. As for his Origin and Elements, I'm still deciding on that. I'll probably include them by the time I put up the MC's Character Bio in the future, which also includes his current skills and parameters. That is, if you guys want me to.

…

**Shiroyasha Rises: **

**A** – I think the Lostbelts arcs are cool. It's nice to see the FGO is still thriving with new events!

I don't have an account for JP server, so I'm still waiting for the first Lostbelt to be released. But, I have heard quite a lot about the new arcs, so I'm excited for it. I'm all ready to throttle with them new enemies! Crypters? Bring it on! :3

And I'm very excited for Skadi to come! I'm preparing myself to earn more SQ this year to summon her once her banner comes out. I already have her as a Lancer and as an Assassin, so I'm aiming for her Caster version next. May the Gacha gods have mercy upon us all once her banner comes out.

I hear the salty platoons are going to be showing up and collecting the tears of despair by the time her banner ends. (^_^')

As for Sieg, I like him. He's one of those MC's with a unique background, so I don't mind him much.

…

**fruitspunchsamurai-987:**

**A** – If you're curious about his thoughts on the Excalibur and its history, then it'll have to read in the story once the time comes. It wouldn't be fun at all if I just tell you in great detail. The Excalibur has yet to make an actual appearance in the story, but Hadrian does know about it. So, his views on it will come in the future when it's right.

Also, we're still near the beginning of the story and you're already thinking about the ending?! XD

Still, I do have an ending that is similar to that route, but like half of the context of this story, it's still in the works. I'll worry about it when the story is it nearing at its end.

As for his thoughts on Merlin, Hadrian sees him as someone who is like his grandfather; wise yet highly eccentric. You'll get to see his views on him later on once it comes.

…

**Doortolight47:**

**A** – Not exactly. Having the automaton fused with his soul does not mean that he's overflowing with knowledge. It's like how I stated in this chapter, Hadrian has to say a keyword and the Moon Cell will do its best to gather info about the target. It's like having a supercomputer in his mind with a bunch of reality-bending softwares, including a powerful google search engine.

And no, he doesn't know about Altera's existence yet. He has already explored the Far Side, but not fully. That'll be something to cover in the sequel after this story.

…

**Blaze:**

**A** – Oh god, love the Marvel movies, so yes, I do love the Endgame.

Honestly, as sad as I am about Tony's ending, I think it was a good way for him to go. He lived most of his life as a Merchant of Death before he became Iron Man, so for him to become a Hero in the end, it was quite fitting for him.

Also, yes, there's probably going to be some intense battles throughout the story. Like what happened in this chapter, for example, and there will be more to come.

…

**Shin:**

**A** – Cu would probably freak out if he saw that his sensei is following Hadrian around out of her own free will. He would also probably think it was better that Hadrian has her attention than him. Cu is kind of silly like that. I don't blame him though, seeing as Scathatch is quite… intense.

He'd also extend his apologies to Hadrian too for leaving him with the war-goddess to save his own skin. XD

As for Hadrian impressing Scathatch, it's because he helped her with the Land of Shadows and he has something that no one she had encountered has, not even Cu.

You'll see what I mean in the future ;)

…

**Ken:**

**A** – Not yet, but soon, probably after we have closed several chapters in the story.

…

**Kino:**

**A** – First of all, we're talking about the capabilities of an AI, not the personality. So, bring that up? :\

His servants would do the exasperation and the scolding for Hadrian, so he doesn't need a self-aware AI to do also that for him.

Besides, the Moon Cell doesn't have a personality because it always prefers to remain neutral. Even after the war was over, I don't remember the Moon Cell having any personality in the game.

Also, I have a slight fear for self-aware AI's, no thanks to Terminator and its lore. So, no 'giving the Moon Cell a personality' any time soon, if at all.

…

**Ashe: **

**A** – Hmm, I didn't know that. Although, I'll probably set the timeline of when the MC goes in to the HP world in modern times like 2018 or 2019.

I really don't like the old era of when the HP was set, so to make it less difficult on myself, I'll go by the modern route in terms of timeline. The wizarding world of England though, will still be backwards in their ways of life, so that's something that won't be changing any time soon, no thanks to Dumbles and his old fashioned ideals… (-_-)

As for Merlin, he'll probably make an appearance in the story, but in the future. ;)

…

**god of all:**

**A** – Thank you, and I'm glad you are enjoying it so far.

Don't worry much about the random updates. I don't intend on stopping this story if I can help 's just that I have quite a busy schedule these days that it's screwing up my time for writing.

You know, real life responsibilities and all that. Farming materials in FGO isn't giving me any time to relax either… (-_-')

I'll try to update more consistently in the future for this story. But with my current schedule, along with my original story, I don't think it will be any time soon.

…

Okay, that's everyone! I'll see you guys in the next update! Have a nice day, guys, and good luck in farming in FGO! :D


	9. Chapter 8 — A Dangerous Hint

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**Welcome to the 8th chapter of TPoM! **

**Apologies for the delay, got rl things to take care of. Had to take care of some documents required to renew my government IDs earlier this week, and it got in the way of my writing time. Unfortunately, that just means I have to make use of my remaining time to stock up on chapters on top of the schedule that I already have.**

**Oh well, enough of my ranting and let's get on with the new chapter.**

**As always, feel free to leave a review, fave and (or) follow this story.**

**To the ones that left questions in the previous chapter, your answers are at the bottom of this page. Please go there to see it! :)**

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"Speaking"

'_Thoughts_'

"**Spells**" or "**Abilities**"

*** Sound Effects ***

**[ Moon Cell ]**

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**Chapter 8 – A Dangerous Hint**

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[… **Siberia, Russia – Night** …]

Inside a lone mansion located near the mountains, there are three figures walking around in the darkness in one of the building's empty hallways.

While the moonlight was bright, each of them were equipped with flashlights so that they can make their way easily without fear of stumbling onto something.

Leading the group was a young woman of 15 years old.

She has a healthy, pale complexion, a pair of striking blue-green eyes and a long gray hair that was braided and set into a bun. She has a lithe physique similar to that of an ordinary fifteen year old girl, which often causes people to assume that she is unfit for combat until she forces them otherwise. Her features bears resemblance to people with European heritage, particularly British.

She was wearing a long gray cloak with a black capelet that has white ribbon to keep it in place and a silver fur lined around the hood that was over her head. Beneath the cloak was a short black dress with long white sleeves that covered her arms from the cold weather. She was also wearing a pair of long black socks that reaches up to her knees and dark brown shoes with laces.

The young woman's name was **Gray**, a Magus and apprentice of Lord El-Melloi II.

The two figures behind her were students of her mentor, whose names are **Caules Forvedge ****Yggdmillennia** and **Flat Escardos**.

Behind her left was Caules Forvedge Yggdmillennia, who wore a serious yet nervous expression.

Caules was a young man of eighteen years old, but he has a childish, freckled face that does not match his age, which often causes people to mistake him for a 15 or 16 years old.

He is 172 cm tall, has a light tan skin tone, and possess a slim, somewhat lanky physique, giving indication that he does not exercise often. He has short, messy brown hair, and light gray eyes behind a pair of spectacles with black frames. He was wearing a light blue blazer with navy lapels, a white turtleneck with long sleeves, black pants and formal brown shoes.

Walking behind her right was Flat Escardos, who was smiling and looking as if he was taking a stroll in the park, which was a stark contrast to Caules's nervous façade.

Flat was a young man of eighteen years old, similar to Caules. But unlike the latter, who can act mature and cautious in given situations despite his childish features, Flat was the opposite.

He has short blonde hair that was messy, and a pair of blue eyes that emits a vibrant, cheerful energy. He has a light tan complexion that was a bit darker than Caules's, and is 167 cm tall, a tad shorter than Caules. Notably, he has a silver earing with a small ruby gem pierced on the lobe of his left ear.

He is wearing a white formal shirt with long-sleeves and a few top buttons undone. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up to his elbows, and his shirt was untucked. He also has a red vest, and black suspenders that were left hanging in both sides of his waist. He has black trousers, a pair of long white socks and black shoes. To ward off the cold weather, he has a black coat over a white hoodie.

The three young Magi make for a rather strange sight as they venture into the depths of the territory of their target. But, dangerous as it was, the trio do not have much of a choice, considering as they had been specifically instructed to go to their mentor, despite the older man's initial warnings beforehand.

Earlier, Gray, Caules and Flat had been sternly instructed to stay in the parlor by their mentor, Lord El-Melloi II, and not move until they were given further orders.

The long haired professor and their fellow classmate, Svin Glascheit, were the first to venture into the mansion of their target, **Blair Icecolle**.

Blair Icecolle was the last member of the Icecolle family, which was a fairly old bloodline of practitioners of the dark arts. The Icecolle had been forced on the run by the devastating witch hunts of the Middle Ages. They escaped from western Europe all the way to Siberia, but it was there that they lost the foundation of their thaumaturgy, eventually falling into a decline.

Blair Icecolle was the first child to be born of the decaying bloodline in a long time. He was accepted into the Clock Tower as a student and eventually left as a Magus with a decent record under his belt. However, when he had not responded to the summons of the Clock Tower, the higher-ups has decided send someone to check on his well-being.

Blair may not be a Magus with no notable breakthroughs in his research, but he was still a good student with a promise. Therefore, the higher-ups made the decision to have someone go fetch him in person, to confirm whether the magus in question was still alive, which resulted with Lord El-Melloi II flying over to Siberia with a couple of his students in tow.

They had just landed a few hours ago, and it didn't took much difficulty to find where Blair was currently staying.

Gray, Caules and Flat had been waiting in the parlor for a few hours, waiting (im)patiently for their mentor and fellow classmate to return, hopefully with Blair in tow. However, after several hours of waiting and radio silence, Flat received a call from Lord El-Melloi II via Svin's phone, informing them to come to where they are.

And thus, here they are, walking deep into one of the hallways of the mansion, which would be a handful to venture into if not for their flashlights and the moonlight since it was quite dark.

Flat, who had been quietly humming to himself to pass the time, remembered something important.

"Hey guys, did you saw how professor El looked earlier?" Flat began.

Gray looked over her shoulder to give him a look of silent curiosity, but it was Caules who asked the question for them.

"Hm? What is?" The bespectacled Magus asked, forgetting his anxiousness in venturing into a magus's territory momentarily.

"He looked… Hm, I don't know…" Flat frowned, brainstorming as he tried to find a proper word to describe what he wants to say.

Gray and Caules sweatdrop at the focused look on the weird blonde near them. The latter's left eyebrow twitched in annoyance.

"Ah, yeah! Serious! Yeah, that's the word I'm looking for!" Flat said with a grin.

Used to his behavior, Gray giggled at his response before she turned back to the front.

Caules on the other hand, let out a weary sigh, face-palming.

"By the root…" Caules muttered under his breath, then he turned to Flat. "And how is that anything new? Professor El is always serious, idiot."

"Hm, that is true…" Gray agreed with a nod.

Flat was not deterred though, despite their opinions.

"No, I mean, doesn't he look more serious than usual? His forehead is wrinkled a lot more too." Flat pointed out.

"Of course that would get your attention." Caules deadpanned, giving the shorter young man a mild glare before thinking over his words. "But, yeah, you might be onto something there."

Gray also agreed with their sentiments, though she remained silent and stayed vigilant of where they are going.

"Right, right, right?!" Flat said excitedly.

So elated was he at being correct and having someone support his assumption that Flat stepped into Caules's space, invading the latter's privacy that he had to lean back to avoid being close to Flat's face when the blonde magus got closer to him unexpectedly.

Caules's left hand twitched, suddenly feeling the urge to push his classmate's face away from him, but refrained himself from doing that.

Caules let out a sigh of relief when Flat stepped back as quickly as he leaned forward.

A few feet in front of them, Gray giggled quietly at the scene behind her, amused by their antics.

"No need to get excited over something like this." Caules scolded, his expression grim as he continued. "If Professor El is like that, then something must have happened. It won't do us any good if we just wonder about it now, so we might as well go there and see what it is for ourselves. So c'mon, you two."

Without further ado, silence reigned upon the three as they continued to make their way through the hallway.

Gray and Caules were tensed, knowing better than to let their guard down in a Magus's home.

Flat though remained the same as always, humming to himself and looking as if he was enjoying the experience in being inside a haunted mansion.

A few minutes later, they eventually reached the entrance (that was already opened) and found themselves in a brightly lit area that appears to be a large study room.

The room was a vast when it comes to space. It has two floors made into a rectangle. It was filled with many rows of bookshelves and various equipment typically seen in magus workshop. If anything, the new room resembles more like a fancy public library, which was the norm when it comes to most magi.

Gray gasp softly at the sight before her.

"So many books…" She muttered in surprise, obvious wonder in her blue-green eyes as she looked around.

Beside her, Flat and Caules did not even batted an eye as they too observed the new area.

Unlike Gray, the two young men came from magi families with wealth and certain standings in the moonlit world. Thus, seeing such a scene before them were often the norm for those like them. Still, the sight of many tomes made Caules whistled, silently impressed with the Icecolle's family research archives, despite their decline over the years.

Instead, they were more mindful of searching for their professor and fellow classmate, whom they both found to be in the center of the room where there was a desk and chair.

Seeing the familiar figures of Lord El-Melloi II and Svin Glascheit, Flat called to the two beside him.

"Hey, there's Svin and Proffessor El! C'mon, guys!" Flat pointed before he ran towards the two.

Caules looked alarmed when he noticed that something was amiss, turning to Flat who had already gone ahead of him.

"Ah wait, you dolt!" Caules shouted in warning, running after the blonde with Gray following behind.

"Hey, Profess–" Flat paused, stopping into a halt as his eyes lay sight to the scene before him.

There, on the desk, was the body of Blair Icecolle, who they were instructed to check on by the high council.

The magus's upper body was on the desk, with the lower part still seated on the chair. The left side of his face was flat down the surface of the desk, and his right hand lying beside it. On a closer look, one can see slit wound between his eyebrows with blood pouring out in a slow but steady pace, pouring on the desk and down to the floor. His eyes were opened and staring blankly.

Flat had been unable to see the body since his professor was in the way of his line of sight at that time, but when Lord El-Melloi II turned around as he heard the blonde called out to him, that was when he saw the dead body of Blair Icecolle lying on the desk in full view.

Flat's complexion turned white when it dawned on him that he was literally staring at a dead body.

Grimacing, he turned around, eyes closed as he tried to swallow down the urge to puke the contents of his stomach.

Seeing his foolish student's reaction, Lord El-Melloi II frowned.

"Oi, Flat, didn't I told you not to run in here so casually. This is not the time to be jolly, you fool." He reprimanded.

Beside him, Svin Glascheit sighed at his classmate's incompetence.

Svin was a young man with the same height as Flat. He has short light brown hair with wavy locks, and dark blue eyes. He has a natural pale complexion with European features, and a lean physique that often causes people to see him as delicate due to his soft features, which was far off from the truth if one were to see what he can truly do in a fight.

He is attired in a white formal shirt that was untucked with the neckline and cuffs dyed in black, a black vest and tie, black custom fit trousers and dark brown shoes with no laces. Like the rest, he was wearing a black coat and a scarf to protect himself from the cold weather.

"Try not to throw up near here. Do it in a corner over there." Svin scolded, gesturing a hand to the far corner of the room.

Having caught up to the blonde, Caules took a few moments to regain his breathing, cursing at his lack of exercise.

"I told you to wait, didn't I?" Caules sighed, patting the blonde's back to ease his discomfort.

Flat may be annoying most of the time, but Caules considers him a good friend, despite their nature as magi.

"S-sorry, guys." Flat apologized as he walked a few feet away from the others, just enough so that he can't see the body anymore.

Caules hovered nearby to keep an eye on him, but he also paid attention to their professor, who continued his inspection of the body before their arrival.

Gray shot a concerned glance at Flat, but she went over to Lord El-Melloi II, who was now standing with his hands inside his pockets in front of Blair Icecolle's corpse.

"What happened to him, Professor?" She asked, casting a worried eye to the body.

"He was murdered." Lord El-Melloi II answered, lighting up a cigarette as he conjured a bit of fire via his fingertip before letting it hang on his mouth.

The students sweatdrop, regarding the answer to be too simple.

"I think an explanation would be more preferable over that, professor." Svin sighed.

The long-haired professor inhaled, then he held the joint between the fingers of his right hand. Looking down at the dead body with his left hand in his pocket, Lord El-Melloi II puffed out the smoke and he tilted his head as he observed the corpse in front of him with a careful eye.

"I don't think there's an accurate explanation over this case other than concluding that he was murdered, really." Lord El-Melloi II said casually.

Surprised as they were by his admission, the students can't help but noticed the resigned yet grave glint in his eyes. It was as if their professor was feeling something, but he refuses to show it. Then, they all remembered how their professor advised them to always keep a clear mind in any type of situation.

Still, the urge to ask was there. The question was on the tip of their tongue, but the students simply don't know how to phrase it in a way that would earn them a scolding from him.

In the end, it was Gray who had gathered enough courage to do it, which was understandable since she is his apprentice. But, contrary to their expectations, she stated a different question for him.

"Do you know him, Professor?" Gray inquired, looking up at him with concern.

Lord El-Melloi II sighed, not expecting for his apprentice to see through him that easily. He gave her a glance before turning back to the body.

"He was among my first students." The long-haired professor announced, expression stoic.

There were a few gasps heard around the room, but Lord El-Melloi II ignored it. He had already expected the reaction.

Instead, he focused his attention on corpse of his first student before him.

"After he left the Clock Tower, he became one of my contacts for the murder cases." He began, knowing full well that his students were paying attention to his every word. "Since his expertise lies with the dark arts, I figured that he would provide a substantial help to the investigations." His jaw clenched. "I never thought that those bastards would caught up to him like this so early in the game."

Lord El-Melloi II closed his eyes for a brief moment, a subtle attempt to calm himself, before he opened them again.

'_To take him out like this, he must've found something. Not to mention leaving his body this way_._ They could have simply drag it to somewhere, but to leave it out_._ It's as if they are taunting us_._ I have to report this to the others_. _This case has become more dangerous than before_.' He mused, eyes narrowed.

With a grim expression, he turned to his students. His left hand formed into a fist inside his pocket, hinting his frustration.

"Stay here, all of you. I have to make a call." Lord El-Melloi II said in a tone that brooked no arguments.

The students nodded, watching nervously as he leaned forward and closed Blair's eyes before he stood upright and walked into a corner.

He pulled out his phone and dialed a number that only a few people knows before putting the device on his ear.

The line connected and someone from the other side picked up the call.

"Yes, this is the Schweinorg office speaking." A feminine voice announced.

"Is Lord Schweinorg there?" Lord El-Melloi II asked.

"To whom am I speaking?"

"It's El-Melloi II, and I wish to speak to him about an urgent matter."

"I will transfer you to his line immediately. Please hold."

As he waited for a few moments, Lord El-Melloi II thought to himself.

'_Those bastards will pay for what they did to you, Blair. This, I swear_…'

…

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**Author's Notes  
**

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…

**Wow******, look at that, this story has already a hundred reviews. Thanks, guys! :D  
****

**Now, I know it's short, but if if I want to update faster, this is the price I have to pay. So, we'll have to resort to this kind of word count for now.**

**Anyways, life has been quite crazy these days, especially with the world being affected by the coronavirus. I highly advised for everyone to not go outside too much and try to stay indoors. If you must go outside, please wear masks and clean yourselves thoroughly once you are at home.**

**You never know if the person that sat near you is showing the symptoms of the virus. ****Many has already infected by it, and that simply means such a thing has to be taken seriously, especially when it has already taken lives. Also, if you do meet someone who has it, then remember to guide them to a nearby hospital, so that they can get the help they need.  
**

**Be helpful and assist them, but be mindful to keep a certain distance from them as well. If you made skin contact, don't touch your eyes, mouth or any parts of your body with your hands. Wash your hands first. Better yet, just take a full shower and clean yourselves thoroughly.**

**I've seen and heard quite a lot of people being ostracized, blamed and isolated because they have the virus in different parts of the world, and that honestly upsets me. I know that people are scared because of it, but you don't have to turn them away like stray dogs. They are victims as well, and they don't deserve such an inhumane treatment.**

**It ain't their fault for being infected. Shit happens in the least ways you expect it, after all.**

**Anyways, I pray that those infected gets well soon and gets better treatment than what they experienced recently. I hope they recover from this experience, to become stronger from this part of their lives, and wish them a good fortune this year as well.**

**On a different note, the symptoms of having the coronavirus kind of reminds me of the Walking Dead.**

**Do you guys notice it? I mean, they both start with fever-like symptoms. Strange grim coincidence, no? Don't mean that as a joke or anything, but I simply pointed out an interesting fact that I just saw by coincidence when I remembered some episodes of the Walking Dead about the virus in that show.  
**

**Makes me wonder if someone started the outbreak and spread it on purpose instead of it happening by a coincidence.**

**On another note, I've been following a game called Code Vein recently, I even have intentions of getting it myself, and I noticed something. Did you guys know that Counter Emiya's Japanese voice actor is voicing as Jack in that game? I don't know if that's just my hearing playing with me, or if it's actually true since I have yet to look it up in Google.  
**

**I just heard his voice over there when Jack spoke and I thought it was really familiar. I was thinking where I heard it, and then I remembered how Archer's voice in Fate/Extra sounds and it just clicked in my head. ****I find it an interesting and funny coincidence that Jack in Code Vein also has white hair like Archer, lol! XD**

**Furthermore, Jack also prefers swords and uses a unique stance when he fights. Kinda like Gawain whenever he readies his sword. Still, the fact remains that they looks so similar. The two both have unique stances in fights, both have cynical views in life, same voice actor, and both have white hair.**

**Plus, did you all know that the voice actors of Da Vinci and Roman in FGO anime are the ones who also did the voice acting for Shiki and that guy (forgot his name) in Kara no Kyoukai? What's even more interesting is that those two voice actors are married in real life.  
**

**Interesting trivias, yeah? :D**

**That aside, feel free to leave a review about what you think of this chapter, fave and (or) follow this story.**

**And many thanks to the ones that still read this story, despite my random update schedule. I do try to write whenever I have the time, but with real life and responsibilities in the way, you have to make sacrifices, you know. Still, I do love to write and I enjoy every bit of it, so you guys can bet that I won't be abandoning this story any time soon.**

**Take care and see you guys in the next chapter. Adieu for now! :D**

**[Note: To those who have left questions in their reviews, please scroll down below to see my responses to them.]**

...

* * *

**Q & A  
**

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...

**Dxhologram:**

**A** \- No, I haven't yet. I didn't even know that they got an upgrade for the NP animations. I'll be sure to check that out later, so thanks! :D

Also, no I don't yet know about what's going on in Lost Belt 5. I'm not in the Japan server, so I have yet to actually play any of the Lost Belts because the devs have yet to release the first Lost Belt, which sucks balls by the way. D:

...

**Kensei-1085:**

**A** \- Yeah, I read a part of that, and I'm honestly surprised they took that route. I'm kind of bummed they made him act that way since I've always been a fan of Bahamut since in the earlier games of FF series. I would have been more interested in seeing the Dawn of the Future take part in the game, but even that's out of the picture.

...

**fruitpunchsamurai-987:**

**A** \- Haha, I supposed. Been watching the Case Files lately to familiarize myself with that world's lore, characters and events. The timeline in that anime seemed to be different and aligned with Fate animes like Fate/Zero and Apocrypha.

Waver's deductive skills appealed to me! :)

...

**Shiroyasha Rises:**

**A** \- Haha, Sieg grew on me when after I watched Apocrypha. I wouldn't even mind getting him as a servant, really.

Also, I hope I get Skadi. She's the only one left I have yet to collect now, considering as I got her as an Assassin class (twice) in the summer events banner and, recently, as a Lancer. I'm really hoping I get her as a Caster once she comes out. Otherwise, I'll cry tears of saltiness if that does not happen. But, Achilles comes first since I have yet to get a five-star rider.

...

**Journey to the End:**

**A** \- Love the anime. I even downloaded it in my hard drive since watching it by stream ain't enough for me. Actually, that goes for all the animes I liked, especially those from the Fate franchise. As for Gilgamesh (Caster), I find him more awesome (and likeable) than his Archer class. I mean, let's face it, his Archer self was a right bastard in the earlier animes of the Fate series.

He's despicable in the Fate/Stay Night, but he quickly grew on me when Babylonia came up. So, as a Caster, I like him the best. I even got him as a Servant in the game, but I admit, he snuck up on me when I was actually trying to get Enkidu instead of him. Still, I'm happy to have him anyways. Woot! ( \ ^_^ / )

But you know, I would like for the devs to make a female version of himself in the game. I mean, damn, after I saw the actual artwork of his female version in his page in Type Moon wiki, I've been desiring to see them release a female version of Gilgamesh. Hopefully, they can see the wisdom in taking that route soon.

I don't think I can wait for several years for that to actually happen. (T_T)

...

**Gen2324:**

**A** \- Yeah, he's capable. He takes lessons from Scathatch about Primordial Runes, so he's still new at it and his knowledge around them is still minimal at best. He also knows other Magecraft, but we're going to dive into that soon in the future chapters. ;)

...

KingAllen:

**A** \- No, he hasn't met Merlin yet. They will meet in the future though.

As for Hadrian arriving in HP verse, you'll see soon enough... probably after... I don't know, maybe ten or fifteen chapters. I don't want Hadrian to simply leave the Fate verse quite yet since there's more things we need to cover. Making him leave abruptly without an explanation is just distasteful for me, not to mention confusing.

I need to create a reason for him to leave the Fate verse first before that can happen, and you all shall see the reason the more this story uncovers, I assure you. :)

...

**god of all:**

**A** \- Thank you, glad you like it! :)

...

**Guest:**

**A** \- Thanks. Glad you like it. That's actually my first time writing a serious intimate scene, so I hope I did well :)

...

**Blaze:**

**A** \- Yeah, that scene with him and Peggy more than made up for what he went through. He managed to keep his promise and made his woman happy. I approve :)

What happened to Tony sucked though, but at least he became a Hero in the eyes of everyone, despite his actions before he became Ironman.

Anyways, I wonder how the new generation of heroes would step up to the likes of the first Avengers. What I'm interested in though, is how is Blade going to make his appearance in the saga. He is one of my favorites in Marvel, and I heard that he's getting a reboot in the movies. I looked forward to seeing that! :3

...

**The Loud Person:**

**A** \- No, I have not yet, unfortunately. The devs have yet to release the first one in my server, so I'm forced to wait with great anticipation. I do look forward in playing those events, especially with the Lost Belt 5. I keep hearing about the Greek gods having a different appearance, so I'm really curious to see what the fuss is all about.

...

**Guest:**

**A** \- One word... awesome! :)

Makes me happy to actually see Caster Gil in action. I got to summon him last year, so I've been looking forward to seeing him in the anime. I certainly didn't expect Merlin to be that funny though, so I'm also happy to see him in action. Interesting note about Fou was that he seems to be a bit perverted, probably got infected by Merlin, according to his wiki page.

I don't know if that's true since I have yet to see him actually display such actions, but it was added in his wiki page that he made perverted comments towards Mash or something. Again, I have yet to see if this is true or not, but I'm sure I'll see it in the anime next time.

...

Okay, that's all of you. If I missed any, feel free leave a review.

See you guys next time! :D


	10. Chapter 9 — Idle Moments

**Hey guys, welcome back to TPoM. We're now on chapter nine… Well, technically the 10th, if you include the prologue, but anyways, enjoy! :D**

**As always, feel free to leave a comment, fave and (or) follow this story.**

**To the ones that left questions in the previous chapter, your answers are at the bottom of this page. Please go there to see it! :)**

...

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…

"Speaking"

'_Thoughts_'

"**Spells**" or "**Abilities**"

*** Sound Effects ***

**[ Moon Cell ]**

…

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**Chapter 9 – Idle Moments**

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…

[… **Vancouver, Canada – Midnight** …]

"_So, what has happened, enkel?_" the voice of Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg was heard through one of his mystic codes, the **Portable Terminal**.

Hadrian sighed, then went on explaining what has occurred to him and the others earlier.

It was now midnight, and Hadrian and the others had recently returned to the penthouse.

Needless to say, everyone was tired and no one was in the mood to stay awake after having eaten dinner. Before they all went to their respective rooms, Hadrian had to ask for their reports first of the two respective groups, particularly Arash and Scáthach.

Arash raised no objections to this, though Scáthach did since she desired to clean herself first before reporting to him.

Hadrian didn't blame her, not after learning what she and Rider had went through. The bits of guts and droplets of blood on her hair and clothes made him relent to her wishes in the end.

After their report, Hadrian had let go and left them to their own devices, but not before thanking them all for their time and for doing a good job, of which he can see that his retainers appreciated.

The events of what happened earlier in the day has led Hadrian to report to his grandfather.

Not only that, he also explained to the older man of his own findings.

The papers that Arash and his group had found consisted of something related to plans that Hadrian had yet to thoroughly look into.

The memories that he borrowed from Rider and Scáthach on the other hand, he did his best in trying to decipher.

Based on what he saw and the Moon Cell's calculations, the creatures were once former humans that had undergone extreme mutations due to the untold experimentations that were done to them in the past. It was quite obvious, honestly. From his knowledge, only through experimentation can usher a result of a once human body to become that way.

Hadrian knows this, because he had seen it during a class session in the Clock Tower when he was still a student there. The only difference was that the subject during that class was already dead and used for the lesson, while the creatures that he saw in the memories were still somehow 'alive' and created by an unknown magus.

"… and that's what happened for today." Hadrian finished with a sigh.

While not physically exhausted, Hadrian felt a bit mentally drained.

Hadrian and his group didn't encounter anything threatening in their investigation, but Arash and Scáthach's groups had for some reason.

The former group were attacked in surprise by some unknown individual that they did not get to chase, while Rider and Scáthach were trapped inside the old asylum and encountered strange mutated creatures that had been sent after them. What gave Hadrian a headache was Scáthach's decision to reduce the old asylum into tiny rubbles with powerful explosive runes.

According to Scáthach, she had no other option but to destroy the building for there were too many creatures that kept being sent after them through the red ritual circles. Scáthach had to destroy the buildings, or else, she and Rider would have been trapped inside the asylum for quite a while.

While the two of them had enough strength and endurance to take the battle the long way, Scáthach was afraid that the enemy might set up another trap and bring the building down upon them if she did not acted immediately. The asylum was full of traps, that's for sure, but with their enemy still hidden in the shadows, Scáthach had to make a choice.

It was either play into the enemy's hands and risk the chance to let the creatures roam alive, potentially hurting a local in the future, or take the matter into her own hands and disrupt the enemy's plans by getting ahead of them. Not one to back down from a chance of tweaking their enemy's nose, Scáthach chose the latter.

It was only not to their expectations that the bounded field that she installed would be unraveled by the enemy, which caused Scáthach and Rider to retreat quickly since there were locals passing by.

The result of the event ended with Scáthach's rune-bombing of the asylum reaching the local headlines in the news, while Rider and Scáthach herself returned to the penthouse, looking dirty and tired.

'_The cleanup is going to be brutal. Good luck to the magi fixing that mess up. At least no locals got involved_…' Hadrian mused with another sigh.

His musings were interrupted as his grandfather spoke up on the other end of the line.

"_Huh… so that's what occurred. I was wondering why my secretary dropped a small stack of papers on my previously cleaned desk here earlier. I can already guess that those papers must be billing reports for destroying the building and the money to pay the clean-up team to erase and cover the incident from the humans_." Zelretch said airily.

Hadrian winced, grimacing a little.

"Err… you can just send the cost to my account. I can pay for it." Hadrian suggested, feeling a bit bad for burdening his grandfather.

"_No, it is fine. Do not worry about those bills. They are of no concern to me_." Zelretch insisted firmly. "_Instead, I have something else for you to do_."

"And that is?" Hadrian asked, his curiosity piqued.

"_The person you will meet tomorrow will lead you to a place I have made some investments in. I want you to go there and relay my greetings to the ones in charge of that place_."

Hadrian raised an eyebrow.

"Uh, just your greetings?" Hadrian asked, a bit perplexed.

"_Yes, my greetings. It has been quite a long time since I've checked on that place in person, and I want someone I trust implicitly to make sure that all is well over there_." Zelretch explained.

"Alright then, and is there anything that you want me to relay to those people other than your well-wishes?" Hadrian inquired.

"_Hmm… ah, yes, there is. Tell Edward Miles that his ticket to victory is 150403691_."

"… I'm not even going to ask what that is. Is there anything more you'd like to add?" Hadrian hoped not.

"_Yes, that and tell him that he needs to stop giving in to his mistress's cajolery. He's not getting any younger, so that damn woman ain't going to love him truly if not for his wallet and his gifts_."

"…" Hadrian didn't dare to ask what that was about, maintaining his silence instead.

Fortunately, his ever eccentric grandfather changed the subject.

"_Anyways, how is your progress?_" Zelretch asked, interest clear in his voice.

"Just fine." Hadrian answered, feeling a bit relieved at the change in topic. "Made a bit of progress with my research in Magecraft and True Magic. My mastery over both is increasing, but the first is more likely to happen soon than with the latter. The spells are still few and in its experimental phases, but I'm getting used to them slowly, one by one."

"_Hm… that's good to hear. Now, the bad?_" Zelretch asked in a nonchalant tone, as if he was asking for the weather in Canada.

Hadrian sigh at his grandfather's bluntness. Then again, the older man was experienced enough in the mystic arts to always expect that things won't always go smoothly.

"Err, I might've been stuck with uncle's True Magic." Hadrian reluctantly admitted.

"_And? Well, out with it. No use pondering it on your own. That boy's magic can be potentially dangerous if it's not properly understood and done correctly_." Zelretch encouraged.

"The first true magic seems to have correlations with Time Manipulation." Hadrian stated.

"_Ah, time manipulation. If you are telling me this, then the lessons I taught you in that category is not enough, I take it?_" Zelretch asked in a knowing tone.

"Yes." Hadrian admitted. "But it's not just that, there's other subjects that correlates with the First Magic."

He took a deep breath before speaking in detail of his current dilemma.

"According to Uncle Mathias, the First True Magic is like a blend of other Mysteries mixed into one. It's like… how do I put this…"

"_The void_." Zelretch summed up for him in a confident tone.

"Ah, yes. How did you know?" Hadrian asked in surprise and curiosity.

"_It's one of the theories I had when I was researching the Kaleidoscope. That was way before I acquired **it**._" Zelretch answered in a casual tone.

Hadrian heard a weary sigh from his grandfather's side.

"_A blend of other mysteries, huh. This means that you will have to master each of them first before you are permitted to use the First True Magic. Seems like you have your work cut out for you, enkel. You might want to start learning the basics as soon as possible_." Zelrecth advised solemnly.

"I will do that as soon as I get back home. I'll have to talk to Lehrer Lorelei about some books too." Hadrian frowned in thought.

"_Speaking of the Queen, I heard talk from the other side that your teacher has been picking fights with Rita recently_." Zelretch said, his voice returning into a casual tone.

"Rita? Rita Rozay-en? Isn't she…" Hadrian trailed off, unsure.

"_One of the weird Dead Apostles with an equally odd friendship with another weirdo? Yes, she is_." Zelretch clarified in a deadpan tone.

"Er, why is Lehrer picking a fight with… her?" Hadrian asked, curious but hesitant to know the situation.

"_Well, Rita has been walking about in human territories recently, and your Lehrer is not exactly tolerant of people like Rita_."

"What about you then?" Hadrian interrupted.

"_I'm special_." Zelretch said simply yet confidently, causing Hadrian to chuckle silently. "_Now, don't interrupt your grandfather_."

"_Now, what was I saying again? Ah, yes. So, when your teacher heard that Rita has been near the Barthomeloi territories, Lorelei didn't hesitate to leave her office and go out of her way to trail after Rita. She found her, and the two clashed, as the young people are so often fond of saying these days_."

"How's Lehrer?" Hadrian asked, a bit worried for his mentor's safety.

"_She's fine. Lorelei came back from the fight, safe and sound. The two seems to be equal in strength, if you ask me. In fact, it's Rita who seems to be bothered by your mentor these days. I heard from her – more like complaining – that Lorelei has been killing her servants and wrecking her mansion recently_." Zelrecth chuckled.

"That's Lehrer for you." Hadrian laughed.

Noticing a white fluffy familiar near his feet, Hadrian smiled as he picked Fou with his left hand and placed her on the flat surface of the veranda's concrete railings. He leaned on the stone and looked over the beautiful sight of the city, taking in the various bright lights and noises coming from below the penthouse.

"_You don't need to worry about things here_." Zelretch continued. "_Rather, what I'm worried about is you_."

"Me?" Hadrian repeated in surprise.

"_I called her earlier and Saber informed me of your condition_." Zelrecth explained, causing Hadrian to massage his right temple wearily. "_She said that your eyes acted up again. How is it this time?_"

"It was still painful, and I don't think that's going to change anytime soon." Hadrian sighed. "I think I'm going to live with this weakness for quite a while. It doesn't seem to have any intentions of stopping if the recent episodes had anything to say about it."

"_Hmm, let us do another examination later after you get home. I might have missed something last time_." Zelretch said musingly. "_Now, get some rest. I'm sure you need it after everything that had happened to you earlier. Don't do anything stressful, or it might affect your eyes again. I don't want you mother to get worried_."

"I won't. I'll go right to bed after this." Hadrian grumbled, feeling like a child being scolded.

"_Good. And by the way, did you know that you reached the headlines here, enkel_?" Zelretch added, his tone turning mischievous.

"… What?"

"_After your departure, it seems you left quite an impression on many people at the airport in London_." Zelretch teased.

If the older man was in front of him right now, Hadrian had no doubt that his grandfather would be wearing the shit-eating grin that he always uses whenever he's in the mood for teasing.

"_You got lots of pictures floating around the news. It seems like you're on every news channel the day after you left here. Your mother and I were surprised when you came up in the news we were just watching the other day. You got lots of people excited, that's for sure!_" Zelretch chuckled, greatly amused.

"Err… is that all, opa? I would like to go now." Hadrian asked, eager to end the conversation.

"_Oh, not quite. Your mother sends you her love and greeting. She misses you already_." Zelrecth informed him.

"Tell her thank you and that I will see her soon." Hadrian smiled.

"_I will. Goodnight, enkel_." Zelretch said.

"Night, Opa."

Hadrian sighed as he saw the call get disconnected after he put the device away from his ear and looked at the screen.

"Well… that happened." The cyan eyed Master said with a huff.

Putting it inside his pocket, Hadrian gazed over the beautiful sight of city lights before him again, feeling relaxed as a gentle but cold breeze went against his body.

The breeze helped cooling his head, so he didn't mind the cold at all.

"Fou…" The white fluffy familiar beside his left arm cooed.

Hadrian smiled when he saw her looking at him in concern.

"Let's stay here for a bit and enjoy the lights, okay?" He asked gently, scratching her behind her rabbit-like ears.

"Kyufou!" Fou agreed with a nod of her head.

The Master and familiar duo stayed on the veranda for several minutes, enjoying the beautiful scene that the city can offer at midnight in comfortable silence before they went to his room to rest.

…

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**Author's Notes**

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…

**I know, surprising that I uploaded faster. But, honestly, this chapter was hanging around my folder, so I thought to myself that I might as well upload it.**

**Word of advice, guys, please drink vitamins and eat nutritious food these days. Seems like the coronavirus is more effective against people with weak immune system. It may not be fatal as SARS, but there's no cure to be seen for this virus yet. So, better to be safe than sorry against something this virus during these trying times.**

**Nothing much has really happened to me since the last update, which was understandable since it has only been a few days, so I'll just leave it at that.**

**It still the same as usual, really. Work, rl responsibilities, write, rest and repeat. I won't lie that in the last two weeks, I had a hard time writing since I was still adjusting to the routine that I unexpectedly made for myself. When I started writing, my routine from that day forth kind of got off-road, so I had to learn to adjust.**

**Writer's block didn't help me in the slightest when it came knocking. Still, I try to force myself to write even though I don't feel the motivation and energy to spend. It's just the matter of finding inspirations and the energy to do it in my case, so it's not a great concern like before.**

**Didn't mean to go deep there, but I just wanted to let you guys know what's been going on with me in the previous weeks that I took a break from writing in general. I guess the pressure from my rl responsibilities and my desire to make a good story just clashed during that time, so it took a lot out of me.**

**Anyways, feel free to leave a review about what you think of this chapter, fave and (or) follow this story.**

**And my utmost gratitude to everyone, the readers, who are understanding of my situation. I'm grateful and happy that you guys are patient and understanding with someone like me, who is still an amateur author. I know I still have a lot to learn, but I wish to repay your kindness and patience by aitming to become a better writer in the future.**

**Again, thank you to everyone who has been with me in this journey so far.**

**Also, next chapter is going to be MC centric. It's going to be a lot longer than this, so stay tuned.**

**Take care and see you guys in the next chapter. Adieu for now! :D**

**[Note: To those who have left questions in their reviews, please scroll down below to see my responses to them.]**

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**Q & A**

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**Guest: How old is the MC at this point?**

**A** – Presently in the story, he is fifteen years old.

…

**KingAllen:**

**A** – Thank you, I'm glad you are enjoying so far. I admit, comments like these often make my day. :D

As for him learning HP verse magic, I think I know of a way for that to happen, so yes, it's highly possible :)

…

**Robobot:**

**A** – Thank you :)

And yes, they are going to meet in the future, but probably after Hadrian returns to London. Also, I'm thankful for your patience and understanding. Long chapters often takes a long time for me to finish since I need to make time to put it together and make room to write in between my busy schedule. So, I'm glad to have readers like you around.

A great day to you as well! :D

…

**Dxhologram:**

**A** – Kind of. The detective work in regards to magecraft will probably happen in snippets until Hadrian and Waver meets.

They're the ones who are heavily involved in the murder cases, after all. Right now, you can say what they are doing in the previous chapters is that are trying to gather enough clues to put the bigger picture together. Once Hadrian meets up with Zelretch and Waver, it is when they will start to piece the puzzle together.

Granted, there's bound to be questions later, but it'll be answered as the story goes on.

...

**Gen2324:**

**A** – Probably once Hadrian and Waver meets. Honestly, my inspiration when it comes to detective work mostly comes from like how Batman analyzes a crime scene in Arkham games and also how Waver does it in the Case Files, which I have yet to finish watching (^_^')

…

**Doortolight47:**

**A** – I'm sorry to hear that, though I'm the author has a serious reason for deleting their account. They must be going through something in rl that it requires their utmost attention. Still, I'm thankful that you are patient and understanding of my case.

Also, I'm glad to see that you enjoying my story so far. It makes the hard work all the more worthwhile that my story can be enjoyable to you guys :)

…

**fruitspunchsamurai-987:**

**A** – Technically, he already is. He did flew to Canada to recheck the murder sightings under Zelretch's inquiry, cases of which are related to mass murders occurring around in the story. It's only going to be a matter of time when Hadrian would meet up with the others in the upcoming chapters. You'll see what I mean soon enough ;)

…

**Kensei-1085:**

**A** – Agreed! Frankly, I find FGO Babylonia to be fun to watch than any other anime these days besides Demon Slayer. Animes these seems bland for some reason. ( -_- )

And I hope that they do Camelot a great job as well like what they did with Babylonia. But more importantly, I hope they can sneak in full Morgana's appearance in the movie. I've always been curious about what she really looks like besides having the vague appearance of a blonde buxom beauty (BBB) ever since I caught a glimpse of her in Apocrypha.

And I bet that TIamat is going to be scary. I still remember her last second form when she has that curvy body but her mouth was freaking gaping and slits from her mouth and across her cheeks. Now that was freaky, but the devs did a fine job in making her beautiful yet terrifying at the same time.

Also, I kind of wish that the devs makes her into a servant. I felt bad for her when she was just being used by Dark Solomon in the Babylonia arc.

There were hints in that arc that Tiamat isn't exactly a bad person. Instead, she was more lonely and upset that she was treated that way by her children, but it was clear that she didn't have intentions of annihilating mankind until a certain demon came along.

…


	11. Chapter 10 — Request

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**Welcome to the 10th chapter of TPoM! :)  
**

**I know I said that I would make shorter chapters to publish faster, but since most of you like long chapters and don't mind waiting a bit, I went back to the usual routine. So, longer chapters takes longer time to write. As always, more AN below. If you're interested, scroll down below after you guys finish reading the new chapter.  
**

**Also, feel free to leave a comment, fave and (or) follow this story.**

**To the ones that left questions in the previous chapter, your answers are at the bottom of this page. Please go there to see it! :)**

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* * *

…

"Speaking"

'_Thoughts_'

"**Spells**" or "**Abilities**"

*** Sound Effects ***

**[ Moon Cell ]**

…

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**Chapter 10 – Request**

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[… **The next day** …]

Hadrian hummed as he picked up a small bottle of oyster sauce, inspecting its uses with a careful eye.

Standing beside him to his right was Arturia, who was patiently waiting for him to choose his ingredients with her hands on the handle of the trolley in front of her.

She was guarding their carts with an attentive eye, and to also keep an eye on the bag that Fou and Ryu were currently hidden in. It would disastrous if an ordinary human were to find out why there were strange creatures inside an unassuming shoulder-bag. Hence, her attentive

Nearby to his left was Charles and Dia, who were both being mindful of their surroundings while perusing the shelf for the ingredients he asked for them to find.

They are all currently inside at the grocery store of a shopping mall near the hotel.

Since they would be departing tomorrow afternoon, Hadrian had decided to cook for dinner later on. When he announced that he would shopping for food ingredients earlier, his retainers have offered to accompany him. Considering as he would be buying a lot of ingredients, for their dinner later and to stock up on his food supplies in the Armiger Arsenal, Hadrian accepted their help.

It was quite fortunate that they arrived at the market early in the morning. Otherwise, Hadrian and his retainers would garner a lot of attention from the locals, especially him since he was apparently in the headlines in London the day after he had departed to Canada if his grandfather was to be believed.

There were a few people in the market place who had the same idea as him and nearly every one of them stared, but at least they were bearable. Nonetheless, it won't hurt him to keep his head down and lay low since Hadrian confirmed there is an enemy hidden in the shadows somewhere.

As always, Arturia, Charles and Dia had decided to stay by him, while the others were somewhere around the vicinity, off to search and gather the other ingredients he needs.

Feeling Arturia's gaze upon him, Hadrian spoke up without looking away from the item he was currently perusing.

"Got something on your mind, Arturia?" He asked in a casual tone.

Hadrian turned his gaze to her, just in time to see Arturia's startled expression before it was replaced by her usually calm and regal façade, though there was a concern present in them as well.

"How are you today? Do you still get headaches?" Arturia asked quietly, stepping closer to him as she laid a hand on his right arm.

Seeing the genuine concern and warmth in her emerald eyes, Hadrian can't help but remind himself that his first retainer has truly grown far from the cold and almost business-like woman to a caring, thoughtful and loyal partner, who had willingly pledge herself to him.

'_How far you've come_… _If only the people in your past can see you now_…' He mused, feeling quite proud of her growth and genuinely kind-hearted character.

Hadrian smiled.

"A little, but nothing that I can't handle." He said to her as he laid his hand over hers and squeezed it gently before turning back to the shelf. "I heard that opa called you yesterday evening. What did he asked you?"

Arturia blinked in surprise, caught off guard by the sudden change in topic before she looked away from him to regain her poise.

"He was concerned about you and asked me of the state of your well-being. It is most likely that he noticed the change in your health through that magic of his." Arturia said in a prim and calm tone.

Bewildered, Hadrian turned his gaze from the shelf and back to her.

There was something about her tone that he noticed when she mentioned his grandfather, something he rarely sees.

"Hmm… you're annoyed at opa." Hadrian stated casually and bluntly.

Hadrian smiled again, but out of resignation this time instead of fondness.

He knew he had hit right on the mark when he saw Arturia's body stilled for a moment and her emerald eyes widened slightly. By the angle he has of her face, Hadrian can even see the light blush on her normally pale cheeks, indicating her embarrassment at being read so easily by him.

Turning back to the shelf (to give her some room to breathe and not further embarrass her), Hadrian asked her in a casual tone.

"Why the annoyance at opa, Saber?"

Noticing his thoughtful gesture and silently thanking for it, Arturia composed herself and humored him by going along with the flow of their talk. His use of her class name made her smile faintly though, making her even forget her brief moment of annoyance earlier.

"My apologies, but you're grandfather reminds me too much of that man." She said with a weary sigh.

Curious, Hadrian blinked and turned to look at her again.

"That man?" He asked, head tilted slightly.

Feeling her heart skip a beat by the lovely sight, Arturia ignored the nervous and delightful fluttering of her heart by keeping herself composed instead.

"Your kind knows him most as the '**Mage of Flowers**', but all of mankind knows him as my Court Mage of the Round Table." Arturia explained briefly.

"Ah… Merlin, yes?" Hadrian said, crossing his arms over his chest out of reflex.

"Indeed." Arturia affirmed with a slight nod.

Hadrian noticed that she doesn't seem to be happy when she mentioned the man by his name. The slight twitch of her eyebrow gave away her irritation regarding the man in question. At the same time though, there was a hint of fondness in her tone that tells him that she has an amicable relationship with Merlin.

"I take it that you don't think too highly of him, then?" Hadrian guessed.

Arturia scoffed lightly, which surprised him a little since the King of Knights was rarely the type to let go of her regal and clam demeanor in public areas.

Through her memories that he had seen via the dream cycle, Hadrian knows that Merlin has a rather peculiar reputation, despite his good deeds. The man was well-respected and known to be an ally of humans, despite being known as a half-breed: half-human and half-succubus. Being the Court Mage of the King Arthur had helped solidify his good standing in the eyes of the people.

What marred his good reputation was his eccentric personality and troublesome antics that seemed to had given Arturia nearly an aneurysm every time she heard words of strange situations related to the man, such as his cajoleries with the high ladies of the court, which unfortunately brought him into trouble with nearly all the noble lords more often than not, who also happens to be their husbands.

The tension that Merlin had with most of the noble lords in Camelot redirected itself to Arturia, and it was only through power and authority that she held as King that forced the group to stand down and endure Merlin's fooleries. Arturia herself had already punished Merlin for his scandalous transgressions, but he was still needed in her kingdom, so she let him off with a warning.

But, the noble lords did not forget Merlin's slights against them for taking their women and drinking their wine without restraint. Therefore, when Mordred's rebellion began and the whole of Camelot was thrown into disarray, the offended noble men did not hesitated to throw their own lot into Mordred's favor when Arturia left the kingdom for a while to take care of some business outside.

It was quite ironic that Arturia found out that the noble lords in question had been murdered by Mordred's own hand, with the latter publicly stating that she has no need for arrogant and petty nobles with questionable loyalties in her group, which Hadrian can understand since men like that are often the most dangerous, especially during times of war.

Fortunately, he did not have to deal with such things in his first life, thanks to '**Empathy**'.

Hadrian's brief recollection of the war against the Empire was interrupted when he heard Arturia spoke, causing him to turn to her in attention.

"I respect him, but I also find him to be quite a troublesome man." Arturia stated in a deadpan tone.

'_Called it_…' Hadrian thought, seeing the clear resemblance between his grandfather and Merlin.

"It does not help that the man himself is attracted to all kinds of trouble, be it chasing the skirts of the ladies of the high court or blatantly being rude to other mages by making them feel inferior in his presence. Although, the former tends to happen more than the latter." Arturia sighed, recalling certain memories of her past related to Merlin.

Thinking of a certain Magician who he happens to share blood-relations with, Hadrian can't help but sigh along with her, sympathizing with her due to the similar troubles they had experienced under the hands of certain eccentric individuals who were close to them.

"Did you say Merlin?" A familiar male voice asked behind them.

In a rare moment of Master and Servant synchronization, Hadrian and Arturia blinked in surprise, then turned around to see Charles glancing between them with wonder and curiosity in his dark blue eyes. Looking at the cheeky retainer, Hadrian remembered that Charles was acquainted with Merlin when he was still alive.

This, he knew because he had seen the retainer's memories via the dream cycle, as with the rest of his retainers the first week he had summoned each of them.

Although, while he did saw them, he never uttered a word (much less mentioned) about seeing their past memories since it was a rather private and delicate topic to bring up casually. If his retainers did purposely mentioned it to him, then Hadrian would not hesitate to admit that he has seen their memories in his dreams.

Also, Hadrian was never really the type to simply tell people about the things related to his retainers. Their past was for theirs to keep, and he respect their privacy as they do with his.

Which was understandable when Arturia turned to look at him questioningly, silently asking as if he knew about the connection between her and Charles through Merlin.

"If you're not aware, Arturia," Hadrian began, smiling fondly at her. "Charles here knows Merlin personally."

"Truly?" Arturia asked, astonishment clear on her elegant countenance.

Hadrian simply nodded, his smile still present.

"How?" Arturia's emerald eyes narrowed slightly, her gaze piercing and observant.

Usually, such a look would quickly intimidate a lesser man, but Hadrian merely chuckled at her sudden change in behavior.

He was well aware that Arturia was not suspicious of him (thanks to '**Empathy**'), but was more suspicious of Merlin's involvement with another King like Charles. Arturia knew that Charles had been a King before in the past and that he was assisted by a Magus before, but she never really did confirmed whether the myths were true.

Even more so, she didn't had the time to actually confirm it since they had been quite busy in the past several months. Furthermore, Charles was still new to their group since he had been summoned just two months ago, which was hardly enough time to truly get to know one another.

Instead of answering her, Hadrian let Charles do the honors as he stepped forward towards them with a basket full of different items that he carries in one hand.

"Well, he didn't exactly introduced himself to me as Merlin at first." Charles grinned, reminiscing his past. "He was acting quite suspiciously when we first met, but he got along with Astolfo quite well, so that makes him a good guy to me, despite his numerous love affairs and bouts of eccentricities. He also helped me fix some problems with my Paladins, so he's good in my book."

Arturia sighed in resignation the moment she heard Merlin's 'love affairs' and eccentric personality in one sentence.

"Yes… that does sound like him." Arturia relented, believing her comrade's words.

As the two retainers talked, Hadrian shook his head when he saw the contents in Charles's basket.

'_Haaah… trust him to only fill it with snacks and food that he likes._' He mused with a deadpan expression.

Before the two could dive deep into their talk, Hadrian had decided to interrupt them.

"You two might as well speak about this subject later on since we still have somewhere to go after this." Hadrian then checked the time on his watch strapped on his right wrist. "We'll have to drop off the groceries to the penthouse and go right to the meeting place. We don't want to be late."

With that, Hadrian left the two former Kings to their own devices, smiling when he heard them talked amicably about the Mage of Flowers as he walked away to the other shelf.

He met with Dia, who walked up to him as soon as he saw him. The spear-wielding knight smiled in greeting once he came near.

"I have found every item that you have listed, my lord." Dia said with a slight smile.

"Thank you, Dia." Hadrian thanked him, causing the knight straighten his posture as satisfaction and proud exudes from him.

Dia was about to give him a small bow in gratitude, but noticed the two retainers talking amicably behind his Master.

Well, it seemed that way at first, but upon closer inspection, it was Charles who looks and talks amicably, while Arturia appears resigned most of the time. The spear-wielding knight turned to look at his Master, who didn't fail to notice the questioning glance sent in his way.

"Don't mind them, Dia." Hadrian smiled. "They're just talking about someone."

"And who might that be, milord?" Dia asked, curious.

Hadrian chuckled.

"A troublesome man who they were mutually acquainted with."

Without another word, Hadrian made his way back to the carts to where he can feel two anxious familiars waiting for his return with Dia following behind.

...

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…

[… **Afternoon** …]

After dropping off the groceries in the penthouse, Hadrian and his retainers had quickly gone to the place that he was assigned to meet someone.

Before he went to bed, his grandfather had sent him the address of the meeting place via text message.

Seeing no harm to make his life easier then, Hadrian used the Moon Cell to find the designated location. Now, he and the others found themselves inside a casual-looking restaurant that also happens to turn into a bar when night time comes. The establishment has a cozy and comfortable feel that visitors cannot help but relaxed once they are inside.

Looking around the restaurant, Hadrian was glad there were a few customers inside.

'_Locals, most probably_…' He mused after a few moments of observation.

Hadrian turned to his retainers, who were also glancing around the area with mild interest.

"You guys can take a seat somewhere around here. Order anything you want, just don't go crazy. We won't be staying here for long." Hadrian advised.

"Kay!" Charles, Arash and Astolfo said in unison, grinning.

"Gotcha, Boss." Yan Qing said with a small grin.

"Very well then." Scáthach said with a nonchalant nod.

Kieran, who had his hands inside his pockets, also gave him a nod. But, Rider, Dia and Arturia reacted differently from the others.

Rider was quiet, but staring at him as if she was reluctant to go. Arturia looked elegant and calm as always, but he can also feel her hesitance upon his suggestion.

Dia was more open with his concern than the two women, expressing concern on his face as he reluctant to stay with the others due to his concern over his lord's safety.

As for the others, Hadrian can sense that they too were all concerned for him. They simply weren't making it obvious through their expressions.

Thankful as he was, he does not see (nor feel) the need to have them around while he speak to the person he was about to meet. Besides, it might make that person feel intimidated throughout their talk if Hadrian lets any of them accompany him to the meeting.

"Go on, guys. I won't take long." Hadrian reassured with a small smile.

The three remained silent for a few moments, obviously hesitant to leave, while the others were simply waiting for the three to join them.

It was Arturia who finally gave in, sighing audibly.

"We will wait for you." She said, her emerald eyes resolute.

With that said, she turned to join her fellow retainers, while Dia and Rider gave him one last glance before slowly following after her.

Once he saw that they were seated on the other side of the room, Hadrian let out a chuckle and shook his head.

"Aaah, that stubbornness of hers…" He muttered, fondly recalling Arturia's determined glint in her eyes.

If anything, she and the others looked equally resolute in doing their duties as his retainers earlier, which Hadrian can understand and appreciate all the same. He just doesn't see the need to have them guarding him while he meets the person working for his grandfather, not when he can take care of himself.

'_Well, might as well get to it_…' Hadrian sighed.

Pulling out the **PT** from his pocket, Hadrian went to the gallery and clicked on an image that his grandfather had sent him earlier morning.

The image was a profile picture of the person he was about to meet today, and it was a photo of a man in his early twenties. He has blue eyes, short brown hair and Caucasian features. What stood out about him was the calm and confident expression he wore in the photo. All in all, the person in the image looks like a man who is comfortable in his own skin.

After memorizing the man's features in the photo, Hadrian put the PT on standby and returned it inside his pocket as he searched around the room for the man in question.

Since it was now afternoon, the establishment had gotten a little crowded, giving him an indication that the restaurant was a popular spot for locals. It took him a few minutes to find the person he was looking for, and when he did, Hadrian had found himself on the second floor where there are only few people dining in.

The man was in a corner near the open view that overlooks the front entrance of the restaurant/bar.

Standing at a certain distance, Hadrian observed the man for a few moments.

He was drinking coffee as he stared out the veranda and down below, eyes focused and observant. Although, while he looked calm and relaxed outside, to someone who was experienced in reading the body language, one can tell that the man was nervous.

The tense muscles around his shoulders and the way his eyes seems to be searching for something (or someone) below gave him away to Hadrian, which the latter finds interesting since what he was seeing from the man now was a stark contrast from the one in the picture.

'_He'll look like an amateurish criminal who is about to prepare an unplanned heist if he keeps that up_…' He thought in amusement.

The way the Moon Cell informed him of the man's identity amused him even further, what with the small blue box with a name and an arrow pointing at the man on the left.

After casting a privacy spell around the room, Hadrian slowly approached the table where the man was seated, stopping once he was near.

The man turned to him in surprise, obviously startled. Then, he did a double take when he saw Hadrian's face, recognizing him probably.

What happened next almost caused Hadrian's calm and regal façade to break.

The man tried to stand up from his seat, keyword being tried since he failed to do so when the cup filled with hot coffee (the one that he was still holding in his right hand) spilled a little and dropped on his pants, causing him to quickly let go of the cup and drop it on the saucer, nearly breaking them in the process.

The man yelped in surprise and pain as the hot coffee stained his front.

"Ah, damn it…!" The man cursed, taking a napkin to dry the substance quickly.

The entire scene nearly made Hadrian laugh, but he curved it just in time. It did made him smile faintly though.

"Are you Hugo Faust?" The Schweinorg heir asked.

Hadrian already knew who the man was since the Moon Cell had confirmed it for him, but the man didn't know that (nor does he need to).

Flustered as he was, the man shot up from his seat and put on a strained smile, probably from the pain and out of nervousness.

"Ye-yes I am!" Hugo Faust said, then he offered his hand in greeting.

After staring at the hand before him for a split second, Hadrian put up his right hand and shook the man's hand twice before letting go.

"May I sit?" Hadrian asked, gesturing to the other in front of the man.

"Ah yes, of course, please." Hugo nodded, laying the napkin stained with coffee on the table.

Once they were seated properly, Hadrian faced the man with a small smile, which somewhat put the man at ease.

"So… what is our meeting about?" Hadrian began, getting straight to the point.

Hugo blinked in surprise, as if caught off guard by his bluntness.

"Um, Lord Zelretch didn't tell you?" Hugo asked for clarification in the case he heard wrong.

"No, he didn't." Hadrian answered honestly.

"Err, then I think it is better that I explain the situation to you." Hugo scratched the back of his head with a sigh.

"That would be for the best." Hadrian smiled in gratitude.

"Um, first, please let me cast privacy spell, so that we wouldn't be overheard by anyone here." Hugo suggested, in the process of activating his circuits.

"There's no need for that." Hadrian cut in.

Hugo blinked, before saying "Excuse me?"

"I had already casted one, so…" Hadrian trailed off, giving the other Magus a knowing look.

"Oh!" Hugo said in realization, then asked out of curiosity. "When?"

"As soon as I found you." Hadrian stated simply.

Seeing how calm and relaxed the Schweinorg heir appeared, Hugo can't help but laugh nervously at the answer given to him.

As a Magus of average standing, Hugo finds the situation he was currently in to be unrealistic.

He considers himself to be powerful and resourceful enough to contend with most Magi, even the first rate ones, combat-wise. But now, sitting in front of this young man who comes from an ancient magical bloodline of the family that he (and his future descendants) had pledged to serve, Hugo feels small.

He had been through enough battles to sense the magical circuits being activated, but when the young man said he had already casted a spell, it made Hugo terrified at the thought that he had not even felt anything earlier before the latter appeared in front of him, which greatly reminds him of the current Head of the Schweinorg house, **Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg**.

The realization of knowing that the future Head of the Schweinorg house has great potential filled Hugo's heart with joy and dread.

Joy being the fact that the future of his house will be safe and secured for many years to come, while dread at the thought of the fate of those who crosses this seemingly harmless young man.

In addition, Hugo heard from Lord Zelretch that the young heir has a great potential to become the next Magician in the future, which was considered to be a highly impressive feat to accomplish that was equally grand as the one of emerging victorious from the infamous Holy Grail War on the moon.

Being one of the close attendants to serve the old Magician, Hugo had been informed of the young heir's feats over the years, with the Holy Grail War being the most recent.

Even now, meeting the young heir in person, Hugo found it hard to believe that the young man before him was the one who had saved the world from the brink of calamity. But, the event did occurred and the holy grail war has ended, despite the fact that nearly all magi gained some kind of amnesia about the war since no talks of it were heard ever again, much less rumors of it.

It was as if all things related to the war recently has disappeared the day after the event has ended.

As mysterious as it was, Hugo has a nagging feeling that he was facing the perpetrator of why most magi had 'forgotten' about the event, not that he would dare to snitch on the young heir to the Mage Association about it. Hugo values his life too much to risk earning the ire of one official Magician and a Magus who is closer to become one.

Realizing that he was nearly staring, Hugo snapped out of his musings before the air between them becomes awkward.

Fortunately, Hadrian either didn't notice or simply didn't mind it, seeing as he patiently waited for him to begin.

"Ahem." Hugo coughed to clear his throat. "Then, I'll start explaining."

Hadrian leaned back in his seat, listening attentively.

"As I'm sure you are aware, our world is nearly on the verge of being exposed to the humans due to the mass murders being committed all over the world." Hugo gulped, choosing his words carefully since it might gain a reaction from his guest. "After the holy gra–"

Hugo paused, becoming silent as a mouse when the air at their table changed from casual and solemn to tense and stifling.

Looking at his young guest, Hugo can't help but shiver in his seat at the sight before him.

The young man has striking features that was soft, beautiful and perfectly symmetrical. His perfect and glowing skin amplified his beauty even more. Therefore, to behold the sight of the young heir wearing a stoic expression was like looking at a beautiful statue that was carefully and meticulously crafted by talented artisans. But, it was the intensity of his glare that caused Hugo to pause.

While nothing can be read on his calm and regal-looking façade, there was something mighty terrifying in the young heir's cyan eyes that felt suffocating for Hugo.

'_To think that he would be this intimidating_. _If this is him just glaring, then I don't want to know how he is when angered_…' Hugo dreaded, sweating out of anxiousness.

Luckily for him, the young heir seemed to sense his wariness because the scary feeling vanish a moment later, making Hugo sigh quietly in relief when the stifling pressure had gone away. In hindsight, it was also fortunate that there were no other people on the second floor besides them. The other customers must have left some time, which left them the only ones in the second floor.

Hugo can only wonder how normal people would endure the weight of the young man's intimidating presence, and he can guess that the result would not be good, not at all.

"My apologies, I did not mean to make you fear me. I'm not used speaking to others regarding that subject, specifically with people I have just met." Hadrian sighed.

Though taken aback by his genuine apology, Hugo was quick to collect himself and respond.

"No, no! Uh, please, I'm the one at fault for bringing the topic so carelessly, despite Lord Zelretch's warning." Hugo reasoned, shouldering the blame with a sheepish expression.

Hadrian raised an eyebrow.

"Opa has been speaking to you about me?" The young heir asked.

"Yes, nearly all the time." Hugo said with a laugh. "And even though I'm just one of his people, I can say with great confidence that Lord Zelretch is one proud grandfather."

At this, the younger man looked a bit embarrassed, but managed to remain composed.

"We're getting off topic, Mr. Faust." Hadrian reminded.

"Ah, of course. As I was saying before, after that event…" Hugo glanced at the younger man for a second, expecting him to glare. The older Magus was inwardly relieved when Hadrian didn't reacted like before, merely waiting for him to continue his explanation. "Magi from many different families in our society had died. This reduce our kind's numbers to 3000. But, when the mass murders around the world began, it has been decreased to a minimal amount of 1200 magi families left, and this is not even including the body counts of the normal humans."

Hadrian's cyan eyes narrowed.

"So many…" He muttered, expression darkening slightly.

"Yes." Hugo nodded grimly. "It was why the Mage's Association has declared an all-out investigation over the murder incidents to find out the true source and perpetrators behind it. Many organizations has also made official announcements to assist in the search, including Atlas and the Church. They declared the case as a state of emergency for magi to work together and put an end to it."

"Hmm, I'm not surprised they would." Hadrian said, looking down at the table in idle thought. "The murders did involve both magi and humans alike. I doubt those two groups would let such a thing go unpunished. But, I take it there is something more serious that forced you to meet with me today, isn't it?"

Hadrian gazed up to Hugo expectantly, who chuckled nervously.

"Yes, there is." The older magus said with a sigh. "And it requires the assistance of a powerful Magus, preferably a Magician just to be safe. But, since Lord Zelretch have utmost faith in you with this task, then I too will trust you with it, young master Hadrian."

"And what might that be?" Hadrian asked, slightly concerned.

Hugo began to look stressed out. The grim expression on his face was not going away, and he looked even more nervous than before.

Hadrian gave him some time, considering as the older magus seems to need it in order to compose himself.

Looking down at his coffee for a few moments, Hugo took a deep breath before looking back at him.

"The Spider." Hugo declared. "Lord Zelretch thinks that the perpetrators are after the Spider."

Behind the Mystic Eyes Killers, Hadrian's cyan eyes widen in shock.

"When you mean 'by after', do you mean…?" Hadrian trailed off in disbelief.

"Yes, we think that they are after the Spider to awaken **it**." Hugo answered with a nod.

Hadrian leaned back in his seat in shock.

"That can only end in disaster, if that's the enemy's goal." He pointed out. "The Spider's temperament is quite volatile, even amongst the 27 Dead Apostles. If that thing wakes up, many people will die."

"Which is why we have to do everything in our power not to let the enemy get to the Spider." Hugo said, giving him a pointed look.

Noticing the silent question in his eyes, Hadrian has no intentions to refuse, but he also wanted some answers first before he can agree.

"Has the Mage's Association been informed of this?" Hadrian asked, fingers drumming the table in thought.

"Yes, but since the search is still ongoing and the casualties that they suffered from the last war was still fresh, the amount of help that they can provide is minimal at best." Hugo shook his head with a resigned sigh. "Lord Zelretch has personally taken upon this task himself, but as you know, in his condition, he might not be able to assist actively in case the Spider is woken up."

"No, that won't do at all." Hadrian agreed, knowing of his grandfather's condition.

Despite being turned into a Dead Apostle, Zelretch still aged like a human. Being turned might have helped slow the process down, but the fact remains that his grandfather was no longer in his prime as he once did before he fought Crimson Moon.

Granted, he still has the Kaleidoscope, but as time goes by, his use for the Second True Magic decreases over time, reducing it to mere spells that only requires small cost in magical energy and not the powerful ones like he did when he punched the Moon back to orbit to prevent it from crashing into the surface of the earth.

It was one of the reasons why Zelretch seemed eager to train Hadrian at an early age, so that he can pass on his magic, his legacy, to his grandson. At the same time though, his grandfather seemed content to let Hadrian learn the ways of the mystical arts at his own pace, to let him cherish his freedom and have a sense of normality in his life.

However, reality can be quite unforgiving, and it's forcing their hands to choose and deal with troublesome issues such as this.

Hadrian closed his eyes with a tired sigh.

'_First, the re-audits yesterday, and now this_. _Opa said it would be simple. To think it would get this complicated._ _Seems like I'll have to up the pace of my research and studies_…'

Opening his eyes, Hadrian turned to look at Hugo, who was patient and courteous enough to let him think in peace.

"So, where do I come into this?" He asked.

"We're hoping that you might be willing to assist us in searching for the suspects that are targeting to wake up the Spider." Hugo looked at him imploringly. "The enemy has yet to know the location of the Spider's nest, which works in our favor since we can use that time to search for the perpetrators that might be in the city. I heard from Lord Zelretch that you did a re-audit of the recent murders in this city, may I know how it went?"

"Troublesome." Hadrian answered with a huff. "The suspects left no clue that can be pursued and I have checked thoroughly in the city. Nothing useful came up in my search, but my retainers did find something. There are people following us in the city, and they might be the suspects trying to locate the Spider's nest."

"Ah, so you have encountered them then?" Hugo asked, hopeful.

"No." Hadrian shook his head, causing Hugo to slump slightly in his seat in disappointment. "We didn't get to encounter any face-to-face, but we have our suspicions that they are here in this city. Or perhaps, some of them are. We're not exactly sure since the encounters had been brief and dangerous."

"What do you mean?" Hugo asked, curious.

Taking a deep breath, Hadrian briefly went on an explanation of what happened to his retainers.

"Oh, so that's what happened." Hugo blinked in surprise. "Wait, then the building that got bombed down –"

"– was one of our doing." Hadrian nodded. "It had to be done, or those creatures would have roamed free if the bounded field got unraveled."

"Perhaps that is for the best." Hugo agreed, grimacing at the thought of the worst case scenario.

"So, what now? I had been told by Opa that you'll be leading me to somewhere." Hadrian said.

"Ah yes, I have been instructed to escort you to some place he has made investments in. But, does this mean that you'll be helping us, young master?" Hugo asked, just for clarification.

"Of course, now lead the way. It's better to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible." Hadrian said, standing up from his seat.

"Very well then." Hugo smiled, a genuine one, for what seemed like the first time since their meeting.

As Hugo lead him downstairs to collect the others, Hadrian can't help but shake his head at the sudden turn of events.

'_Hmph, would love to hear how the others would react to this_.'

...

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[... **Omake (1) – The Unexpected Comparison** ...]

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...

During the time Hadrian was speaking to Hugo Faust, an interesting conversation has taken place between the retainers, who were waiting for their Master downstairs.

On their table was a feast enough to feed twenty people, which would normally be enough and more for seven. But, never for the retainers.

The retainers in question were all seated in a large table, and they are all conversing with one another to pass the time.

One retainer with amber eyes sees the moment of leisure as an opportunity to bring up a certain topic that's been in the back of his mind for quite a while.

Kieran glanced at Arturia, Scáthach, and Rider before turning to Astolfo, who was sitting in front of him.

"Oi, pinky, gotta ask you something." Kieran began, catching nearly everyone's attention.

"What is it?" Astolfo asked, curious.

"Why do you always like touching Master?" Kieran asked in a rather blunt manner.

Noticing Astolfo's raised eyebrows, Kieran elaborated more on his question.

"We always see you brushing Master's hair, rubbing his back and cheeks. Putting your finger up his nose, which I know that he doesn't like and irritates him. So, what gives? And, I know you ain't gay." Kieran gave him a pointed look.

At once, everyone on the table stopped what they were doing the second the question was dropped.

In one fluid movement, everyone on the table looked towards a certain pink-haired retainer with similar curious expression on their faces.

The ones who looked particularly interested in hearing Astolfo's answer were the three female retainers, Arturia, Rider and Scáthach.

A pin could drop and be heard given how silent the air at their table was in that moment, making Charles and Dia feel nervous (who sat beside the female trio) as the seconds goes by.

Mindful of the piercing looks sent in his way from the three beautiful women, Astolfo ignored them and merely laughed at the question as he turned to Kieran.

"Why, you ask? It's simple, really. But, I don't know if you guys will get it even if I tell you." The pink haired retainer said with a grin.

"Just tell us, anyway then." Kieran deadpan.

The others merely nodded in agreement to his words.

"Well, alright." Astolfo grinned as he dropped the answer next. "It's because Master reminds me of a very cute doll."

In unison, all retainers at the table blinked in surprise.

"… What?" Kieran said blankly, not expecting the answer.

"I like cute things, and Master is very cute and cuddly, especially when he has adorable bed hair. He also reminds me of a fluffy, tubby cat." Astolfo said with a grin and a V-sign using his right hand.

With the exception of Astolfo, all retainers at the table imagined their Master with a regal and calm façade and compared it to a fluffy, tubby cat.

"Pffft!" Kieran sputtered into laughter, highly amused by the mental image.

Charles, Arash, and Yan were not far behind from him as they laughed along with him.

Rider and Scáthach smirked, while Arturia herself smiled in amusement. But, they do share a similar emotion, which was relief though the three women would rather keep that to themselves.

The only one who was not laughing was Dia. Amused as he was, Dia can't help but simply sigh in resignation at his fellow retainer's oddity in imagination.

Yan leaned closer to Astolfo, chopsticks in hand with a piece of food between it.

"Here, pinky. Eat. Eat." Yan offered the food to Astolfo, grinning mischievously all the while.

Still feeling accomplished in making his fellow retainers laugh and tweaking the females' noses, Astolfo happily accepted it.

His eyes widened when he felt something solid in his mouth, nearly making him choke when he almost swallowed it. Taking it out, Astolfo saw that it was a small shell of a semi-cooked oyster.

"Oi!" Astolfo glared at Yan.

The long-haired retainer merely laughed out loud at the look given to him.

Fifteen minutes later, Hadrian came down from the stairs and wondered as to why his retainers were giving weird smiles, as if there was some inside joke that he was not aware of.

He also wondered why Rider, Scathach and Arturia were sending Astolfo glares every now and then, which the pink-haired retainer would respond with a wide Cheshire-like grin at each of them, further annoying the hell out of them for some unknown reason.

Hadrian shrugged, sensing that it was a topic better left untouched for the moment.

...

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[... **Author's Note** ...]

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...

**Surprise, guys? I bet you guys didn't see that coming! :)**

**Now, I'm well aware that the Spider lives somewhere in Mexico, but I have decided to put it in North America since that's how I always imagined it where it would be the first time I had seen it in Type Moon Wiki. I'm also well-aware that it can't be affected by any weather, but I find it fitting to have it live in some place cold.**

**I heard that North America can be especially cold during the winter, especially in Canada, so I chose it on purpose.**

**Also, first Omake is out, so I hope you guys like it. I find it rather funny that some readers seems to think that this story has male to male relationships in it because of Astolfo's behavior towards the MC, so the Omake was made because of that reason.**

**To those who aren't aware of Astolfo, he's quite the ladies' man and is straight. Even though he acts silly and has feminine looks and strange quirks, he is a straight man. He got a few items-turned-Noble-Phantasms from the ladies he met in his past life in canon, after all. He's as straight as a true man can be, he just acts funny most of the time.**

**And, he does those things to Hadrian to annoy the three (Rider, Scáthach, and Arturia). He's mischievous like that.**

**Now, before I end things here, I just want you guys to be aware that the list for the MC's profile will have to be delayed. I know I promised that I would publish in this chapter, but shit happened and I couldn't find the file that I wrote the list in. It got lost somewhere in my folders and, shit, things got mixed.**

**Now, I'm currently in the process of rewriting the damn thing again since life just enjoys making things difficult for me when it comes to writing, but I got no choice but to do it either way. So, for the moment, the list will have to be delayed. I don't know when I'll get to publish it, but hopefully, I can make some time for it in the future.**

**As always, feel free to leave a review of what you think about this chapter, leave a fave and (or) follow this story.**

**And many thanks to the ones that did one or all of the above. I appreciate the support, guys. It's always nice to hear feedback.**

**See you guys next time. Adieu for now! :D**

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[... **Q & A** ...]

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...

**Dxhologram:**

**A** – Me too, I surprised myself when I did it.

And really? Homage to Dark Sakura? I didn't even know that. Quite an interesting trivia, if you ask me.

...

**Doortolight47:**

**A** – No, I haven't yet. Been busy these past few days, so I didn't have much time to watch anime lately.

But, I did finished Babylonia in FGO, so I have a feeling of what's to come and it would no doubt give me the feels. I didn't like what happened to Siduri in the event and I'm dreading to see it in the anime. It's going to hurt me, I just know it.

...

**Journey to the End:**

**A** – Thank you. :)

Haha, I just couldn't resist the banter between the two. Zelretch is one of my favorite characters in Type Moon, despite having never made an actual appearance in the anime.

Also, I wanted to show my readers a more humane side to Zelretch since he's always viewed as a first rate Magus/Magician, prankster, troll and whatnot. I guess I wanted my readers to see a new side to him, a more humane one instead of the norm and what was expected of him.

...

Well, that's all for now. See you guys next time! :)


	12. Chapter 11 — The Spider's Nest

...

**Well, hello, hello, readers! Welcome to another new chapter of TPOM! :D**

**First, I just want to take a moment to address the situation that's been going on outside of our homes. I know that it's going crazy outside lately and the world is gloomy because of a certain virus, so I just want to say that I hope you guys are doing okay, stay safe and healthy, guys.**

**And for those who are afflicted with the virus, stay strong and keep a positive outlook. You're not alone in this, and know that everyone is affected by this crisis one way or another. This is simply just another trial that we all have to overcome in life, and in time, we will get through this. So, keep fighting, guys, and I pray that you'll have a speedy recovery.**

**Now, that's enough of my well-wishes. I'll leave you guys be for now, so enjoy this chapter and I'll see you guys below.**

**As per usual, feel free to leave a review of what you think about the story so far, fave and (or) follow this story.**

**And for those who left questions in the previous chapter, please scroll down below to see it in the 'Q&A' section.**

**Now, without further ado, onwards with the story! :)**

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...

"Speaking"

'_Thoughts_'

"**Spells**" or "**Abilities**"

*** Sound Effects ***

**[ Moon Cell ]**

...

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**Chapter 11 – The Spider's Nest**

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[… **Half an hour later **…]

Hugo Faust led Hadrian and his retainers to a nearby port, of which there was a small black yacht waiting for them.

After being greeted by the crew of the boat shortly after their arrival, the yacht was driven out to the sea, taking them far away from the island as they were led to where the Spider was hibernating.

His two familiars were out and about around the yacht, chasing each other out of amusement to stave off the boredom. Since their Master was currently busy and not deigning them his attention, Fou and Ryu had decided to play a game of tag and had been spending their time chasing one another around the boat since they boarded.

All retainers were either inside the yacht or outside, exploring the yacht and seeing what it has to offer.

Although, some of them remained nearby Hadrian, such as Dia, Charles, Rider and Arturia.

Dia and Charles were standing near the couch of where Hadrian was sitting, mindful of keeping watch of their surroundings while listening in on their conversation.

Rider was standing several feet away from where Hadrian was seated, just positioned directly behind with her back facing his as she looked out the view of the ocean.

On the other side was Arturia, who stared out into the blue sea with a blank façade on her regal countenance, deep in thought as she stood by the edge of the yacht.

She glanced over her left shoulder, and she saw Hadrian sitting on the lounge area with Hugo to his left.

Arturia turned her gaze back to the open sea before her Master could noticed her staring.

After they had landed in Canada, she had been noticing something off with her Master lately, something that worries her deeply. Her liege's recent behavior reminds her of how he acted during the holy grail war; how his eyes narrowed dangerously when in thought or inspecting something, and how he seems to observed every single thing in the murder sites with a stoic expression.

Combined with her liege's painful episodes with the Mystic Eyes, Arturia was beginning to grow worried of her Master's return to the fold.

It was why she found herself here, standing near the edge of the yacht to have some time to think about how to help her liege.

Granted, she may saw him smile every now and then, but his moments of musing alone and the stoic yet weary expression he wore every time outweighs the times she sees him happy. Furthermore, she might be by his side always to protect him from harm, but she doesn't know how to help her liege whenever he was in pain, like that episode he had back at the abandoned mansion.

Arturia was broken out of her musings when she sensed someone walking towards her.

Turning her head to the right, she saw Kieran standing there with one of his hands in his pocket. The amber eyed retainer wore that nonchalant expression on his face, which was nothing new.

Arturia's emerald eyes narrowed as she met the male retainer's eyes.

In all honesty, she doesn't know what to think of Kieran.

On one hand, Kieran was a stark contrast to everything that she approves of. He was laid-back, lazy, and lacking in any sense of justice. He can kill innocent people without much thought or feeling an inch of guilt. This side of himself often appears when he is approached by anyone who are not related to their Master, be they innocent or not.

He can also be sarcastic, cynical and merciless in mocking to most people that he interacts with outside of their group. To those who are not Hadrian, nearly all the people who interacts with him were given the merciless and mocking attitude.

On the other hand, he shows a side of himself that only appears around Hadrian, such as his caring, thoughtful and protective side. Within the presence of their Master, Kieran appears more humane, thoughtful of his actions and almost good-natured. He never loses the cynical and merciless attitude, but to their Master, no unbearable negativity would be seen nor heard from Kieran.

Even Arturia wasn't safe from his mocking from time to time, including the others, and the only reason that Kieran still has his head was due to the fact that Hadrian trusts him enough to let become a retainer, despite his dangerous origins. Nevertheless, regardless of his past, Kieran was a fellow retainer that earned Hadrian's trust, and that was enough for Arturia to let him be around her Master.

That, and because Hadrian had specifically asked her to give him a chance, which she did begrudgingly. Hadrian had yet to prove her wrong, so she adopts a wait-and-see when it comes to Kieran.

Although, that doesn't mean that she can't be on guard around him. The amber-eyed retainer may be trustworthy, but due to his past, she can't find in herself to lower her guard.

Dia and Rider feels the same way as her, which was hardly surprising since the two retainers in question do care about Hadrian's safety to a great extent like her.

To his credit, Kieran didn't seemed to care much about their reservations towards, seeming to be fine with having only Hadrian's trust regardless of their disapproval of him.

Kieran let out an irritated sigh, causing Arturia to turn to him curiously.

"Is there something you want, Kieran?" The King of Knights asked.

"Yeah…" Kieran stepped beside her as he leaned forward with his hands on the railings, his gaze on the water below. "It's about Master. I'm sure you noticed his behavior lately."

"Yes, I have." Arturia nodded, her gaze also on the sea. "It's not that difficult to see it."

"What do you think triggered him?" Kieran asked, turning his head to look at her reaction.

Arturia was silent for a few moments, a far-away look in her eyes as she stared out to the sea in deep thought.

Now that the amber eyed retainer mentioned it, the mere thought she had earlier began to gnaw at her, making her grow concern about Hadrian's state of mind.

During the war, Hadrian had begun to grow cold and almost unfeeling at the sight of death. This behavior of his started when in his first victory when he had defeated Shinji Matou, a former friend and an arrogant young man, which seemed to worsen the more battles he won as the week goes by. Arturia can still remember the blank look in his eyes that day.

His cyan eyes, which normally has a calm and energetic glint, were cold and unfeeling during those moments. It was as if he was seeing something yet nothing at the same time.

Arturia knew that he had been in a war in his first life, but what she witnessed during the war caused her to worry over Hadrian's mental state.

The only thing that kept him together, that made him move forward despite what he went through, was his desire to survive and to recall the reason why he joined the Holy Grail War. When he gained his memories back, Arturia truly admired his strength of will, his determination and keeping himself grounded throughout the war.

But, when Twice H. Pieceman came into the picture and his machinations was revealed, Arturia laid witnessed to the dark side of her Master.

The way Hadrian killed the man and tortured him to insanity, it was as if the restraints that kept the dark side of his personality was unleashed on that day. Admittedly, Arturia was not really worried that he killed Twice and tortured him in front of her. The man was in due for justice, and more, for the horrible things he made everyone go through in her opinion.

No, it was her Master that she was worried about. After the war, Arturia saw that Hadrian had a difficult time to adjust in living a normal life.

She would often find him deep in his thoughts, quietly staring at the wall with a cold expression whenever he was alone or thinks that no one was watching. Sometimes, she would even wake up to him sitting up on the bed, curled up on himself after waking up from a nightmare. While Arturia would always be there to calm him down, deep down, she knew she can only do so much.

While she and the rest would always help him through his problems, Hadrian must also put a great effort to be able move on from the shadows of the grail war himself.

Fortunately, Hadrian seemed to have gone pass that phase and returned to normal a few weeks after they had returned from the war.

But, now, that side of himself seems to have sprung up again. The times it did were subtle, but she knew it would only be a matter of time once it resurfaced again.

Arturia exhaled, then turned to face Kieran.

"He is starting to return to his old habits during the war." She answered with a sideway glance.

"I take it that that's not a good thing, is it?" Kieran assumed, grimacing slightly.

"No, it's not." Arturia stated quietly, emerald eyes narrowed. "If anything, it would be detrimental for him, especially in his condition."

Realizing the meaning in her last words, Kieran's eyes widen for a moment before he spoke.

"Is his Mystic Eyes acting up again?" The amber eyed retainer asked, almost whispering.

"Yes, and it seems the pain has doubled than before." Arturia said with a slight nod.

"The hell?" Kieran turned to her with a bewildered expression. "I know his set are special and all, but what kind of mystic eyes is it to cause him that much pain?"

"That, I do not know myself." Arturia shook her head, looking a bit frustrated. "But, Lord Zelretch has informed me that it might be a lot more special than the ones recorded before. Yesterday, when he called, based on the results of his last scan, he found that the magic circuits are expanding, increasing in amount, starting from his eyes and all over his brain, inside and out as the time goes by."

Arturia's grip on the metal railings became tighter, forcing a small groaning sound out of the metal as she did so unconsciously.

"Master had described it to me once how the pain felt like. He said that it feels like his brain was being pricked by a thousand needles, all at once and repeat, as if there was something crawling inside up his brain. He has been doing his best to endure it without causing us to worry more, but in the Zepter mansion, he almost collapsed from the pain." Arturia said.

"Damn, that's rough as fuck." Kieran was unable to stop his grimace this time. "No wonder he looked kinda out of it these days. He was enduring the pain. I thought he was just tripping on some drugs."

Arturia gave him a deadpan stare, which seems to silently imply 'really?'.

Deep into his thoughts, Kieran didn't noticed it. But a few moments later, his amber eyes widen as a certain memory came to mind, causing him turn to Arturia in shock.

"Wait, do you think that time when he was sleeping in the plane, he was tired because the pain kicked in again?" Kieran asked, suspicious.

Arturia went silent, thinking for a moment before she sighed in resignation.

"Most likely." Arturia agreed. "But, there is nothing for us to help him with that. The only thing that we can do for now is do our best to protect him and support him."

"And what about him going back to that habit?" Kieran asked, looking at her pointedly.

Arturia's green eyes narrowed determinedly, meeting his amber eyes head on.

"I hope you are not implying that we should do something about it." Arturia said with a warning tone.

Kieran rolled his eyes once, unmoved by the glare that can intimidated most people.

"Of course not." He scoffed, a bit disgusted by her distrust in him. "But, we can't leave him like this, especially in his condition."

For once, Arturia found herself reluctantly in agreement with him, which surprised her somewhat but her concern over her Master's health vanished it almost immediately.

"Yes, you're right." Here, Kieran raised an eyebrow, a bit surprised with her agreeing with him, but Arturia ignored it and continued. "But not right now, not while we are here. Master seems too focused on the task that Lord Zelretch has entrusted upon him to notice his recent change in behavior, which might be a blessing in disguise given his condition. Perhaps when we return home, one of us should talk to him about it, but for now, we can only support and protect him since I feel that it is not the right time yet to bring up such a topic while he's on an assignment."

"Fine, but you guys can do the heavy lifting. I'm not exactly good with giving out comforting words and all that shit." Kieran grumbled, slumping over the railing to return staring down at the waters.

Turning her head slowly, Arturia stared at Kieran, who didn't fail to notice her silence and stare.

"Wut?" Kieran asked, brows scrunched up slightly.

"Nothing. It's just that, given your bond with Master, I would have thought that you would like to speak to him about the matter." Arturia pointed out calmly, giving him a knowing look that seems to have gone under his skin for some reason. "Weren't you the one that had a… what was it called? A heart-to-heart talk with him before?"

"Hey, if you must know, during that 'talk', he had one of those gun-thingies in his hand!" Kieran rebutted, feeling indignant. "Who wouldn't be force to sit down and talk to him sincerely after seeing what he can do?! Guy can probably make a meteorite vanish before his eyes with that weird magecraft of his before it can hit him dead-on!"

Without blinking, Arturia huffed at him.

She wasn't against to what he said however since it was true.

Kind, soft and gentle-looking he may seem, Hadrian was still a first-rate Magus, despite his morals. Hadrian was even honest enough to admit to her that, while people might consider him to be kinder and thoughtful than most, he can also be cruel and merciless when a situation calls upon it. Case in point, the way he dealt with Twice was proof of this claim.

"Just try." Arturia encouraged. "I'm sure he would appreciate the concern coming from you. After all, you rarely speak up."

"Shit… Fine." Kieran grumbled, massaging his forehead to ease the headache. "But you guys are going first. I might as well go last or something."

"To do what?" Arturia asked, one brow raised.

"Prepare." Kieran answered bluntly. "Like I said, I ain't good with words and shit."

"Ah, yes, that might be for the best." Arturia nodded, recalling Kieran's blunt and savage personality.

Suddenly, Kieran turned to her with a skeptical look on his face.

"Just now, were you thinking of something insulting towards me?" Kieran asked, suspicious.

Thanks to their connection with their Master, all retainers have a passive ability to sense one another's thoughts with Hadrian acting as the liaison. What Kieran sensed earlier was Arturia's thoughts, but it was more of an echo than actually reading her mind.

"Hmm? No, that is merely your imagination, Kieran." Arturia dismissed, her façade calm and stoic.

Instead of being assured, Kieran's suspicion grew the more he glared at her calm and regal countenance.

If anything, the way she met his eyes head-on seemed as if she was challenging him.

'_This shitty lady_… _Ooooh, if only_…' Kieran growled in his mind, annoyed at the fact that she's stronger than him.

The slightly tense silence between them broke when a loud ruckus nearby caught their attention.

In unison, the two retainers turned to look on their shoulders behind them to see Astolfo giggling madly as he ran outside the yacht, looking rightly pleased with himself. Just as they wondered what had amused the pink-haired retainer so much, a fuming Yan Qing came out right after the latter got passed the entrance doors that leads inside the interior of the boat.

"Pinky, get back here!" Yan shouted, face a bit flush with anger.

Instead of slowing down, Astolfo laughed maniacally and dashed to the other side of the yacht to escape with Yan following after him a second later. The both of them ran passed Kieran and Arturia, who looked on after them with bewildered expressions as the two males went to the other side.

Kieran and Arturia wondered what caused Yan's anger this time around when, just before the black haired retainer's form disappeared from their sight, they then saw the source of it.

Behind his back, Yan Qing's usually straight hair was braided and lots of pink ribbons were tied around thin strands to hold them together, causing Yan to look quite girlish from behind. Also, they noticed something strange about Yan's appearance just before he had passed by.

"… Was he wearing a bit of make-up just now?" Kieran asked, unsure.

"Knowing Astolfo, most likely." Arturia sighed, understanding Yan's anger earlier.

Their exchange was interrupted once more, but by Rider this time, who came to fetch them at their Master's behest.

As they followed Rider, the two exchange knowing glances.

While they may have their differences, Kieran and Arturia do share one common opinion in this moment, and that was for all of them to come out safely from what was about to come. Most especially, to keep their Master safe and to leave the Spider's Nest without much trouble.

Although, Kieran had his doubts about this.

The world can be unforgiving to everyone, and his Master knows this most of all. Hence, he has no doubt that Hadrian is preparing himself for the worst case scenario in the case that something goes sideways during their visit to the Spider's Nest. Still, becoming a meal for the Spider was not one of the things on his list to do while in Canada, so he would do his best to help out, despite being weak.

Kieran sighed wearily.

'_This is going to suck… I can just feel it._'

…

* * *

…

Once everyone had gathered together at the bridge, Hugo led Hadrian to the couch that was directly behind the control station of the yacht.

In front of the station were glass windows, which has the clear view of the front deck and the sea. The view of ocean might be beautiful, but there was a peculiar phenomenon that was hindering it.

In the distance, there was a vast mist in sight while there are ominous dark gray clouds gathering and rumbling in the sky, all of which were rotating in a slow, circular motion.

"Is that fog? A fog in the middle of the ocean?" Hadrian asked, narrowing his eyes as he looked upwards. "And what is going on with those clouds up there? They don't feel natural."

Indeed, what he sensed from the mist and clouds were telling him that the strange phenomenon was not in any way normal, due to the amount of magical energy he felt from that location of where the mist and the clouds are. That, and the Moon Cell was also helpful enough to inform him of something dangerous was lurking behind the mist.

Hadrian doesn't need to be a genius that that was where the Spider's nest is located.

Nevertheless, it was quite weird to see a random mist and dark clouds in the middle of the ocean when they had just left the port a few hours ago and everything was still bright and normal. Also, as the 85 meter yacht gets closer to the mist, Hadrian began to notice that the temperature was beginning to get a lot colder than usual.

He doesn't feel it since the yacht was well-equipped with some type magecraft that can resist weather conditions (he checked earlier), but on the windows, he can see the frost crawling up the surface of the glass. The process was slow but steady, and it slowly spreads the closer they get to the mist.

Hadrian wondered why that is, but his musing was interrupted as he heard Hugo speak.

"Hmm, I'm not surprised that you noticed it, young master." Hugo smiled, impressed by his observation. "As I'm sure you know, the mist and the clouds were created due to a vast magical energy. But what is so interesting about it is that source of that magical energy does not come from something ordinary."

"Oh, where did it come from then?" Charlie asked, also looking at the mist as he stood by his liege's side.

He was not the only who was curious. The others were either standing or sitting around the bridge near Hadrian, but all of their attention was also upon the mist in the distance.

Hugo was about to answer, but Hadrian had beaten him to it.

"Not where, but from whom." Hadrian said, his expression calm and regal.

Inside though, he was feeling apprehensive. Not due to the magical energy, but he was feeling like he was about to walk into a lion's den, and he was one of its preys, which was understandable since this was the Spider he was thinking of. Anyone, no matter how powerful they are, would feel nervous in walking into that thing's territory, and Hadrian was no exception, regardless of his experience.

"Right again, young master." Hugo nodded, his smile widening a bit. "The source of that great magical energy comes from the Spider itself, who is officially known as **Type Mercury**."

The retainers turned to Hugo in surprise, clearly shocked by the revelation.

Scáthach though gained her composure faster than any of them, probably due to her own experience in the past.

Admittedly, she has not got into a fight with an Ultimate One before, but she was a bit excited in seeing one and perhaps gain a chance to do so during their visit.

Unbeknownst to her, Hadrian sensed her anticipation through Empathy, causing him to sigh in resignation.

Arturia, who sat beside him and saw his reaction, tilted her head slightly in confusion.

Ryu and Fou, who was on his left shoulder and on his lap respectively, were also looking at their master in curiosity.

"Um, isn't the Spider an Ultimate One?" Charles asked nervously.

An '**Ultimate One**', also known as the '**Aristoles**', was the official term that the Mage's Association had used to describe beings from other planets, differing significantly from both creatures of earth and each other biologically and in appearance. They do not have the same self of sense as humans, nor do they have the concepts of damage or death.

They require something above the existence of common sense of the planet in order to be harmed or destroyed, though the resulting 'death' was not necessarily permanent. Also, it is possible for some to acquire the planet's concept of 'knowledge' and several of them were able to contact humans, such as the Spider for one.

In short, they are the ultimate hidden bosses from other heavenly bodies, embodying the will of the planets themselves and with the support of Gaia herself.

Which, in turn, caused Hadrian to wonder how his grandfather managed to survive in a battle against one and even came out victorious.

Granted, the old Magician got turned into a Dead Apostle in return (which was the one thing that really irritated his grandfather the most), but other than that and being almost drained of prana, Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg came out of the one-on-one fight against an Ultimate One, who was known as **Crimson Moon**, mostly unharmed.

Back in the Holy Grail war, Hadrian nearly experienced the same thing as his grandfather.

It was after a few days that Rin Tohsaka and Rani VIII fought. The two was about to let their servants fight to the death, and both had equal chances in winning against the other. But, their fight came to an abrupt end when a certain enemy Master with a dark-blue coat tried to sabotage the battle between them.

The enemy Master in question sabotaged the fight by setting up a death-trap with the sole purpose of trying to kill the two girls, so that a fellow Master he knows would not have to bother fighting them in the future. It was only by chance that Hadrian saw him entering one of the classrooms and followed him inside, but he did not expect him to try setting up a trap during the two girls' battle.

Normally, such a thing would not be possible since the Moon Cell's security measures would have prevented it from happening, but the guy was resourceful and smart enough to discover a weak link in Automaton's firewall. It was a small sliver of chance, but he took it and had been rewarded with success.

Both the girls' servants were close to ending the battle by activating their Noble Phantasm at that time, but the enemy Master swooped in and took advantage of the timing. With powerful traps placed on both servants, he had managed to weaken their defenses and overwhelmed them after he had powered up his servant with a Command Spell.

The enemy Master had been nearly successful in his goal, considering as he had been close to killing both Rani and Rin with both of their servants near death's doorstep. It didn't help that the enemy's servant was barely visible and quite powerful in their own right, which can be a dangerous combination during the Holy Grail war.

What he did not expect was for Hadrian to step in and interfere.

**Julius B. Harway** was the name of the enemy Master, and he was one of the most persistent and dangerous participants that Hadrian had to fight in the war.

Not only was he ruthless and calculative, he was persistent and determined in taking out his competitors except for one, his brother, **Leonardo B. Harwey**.

Long story short, Hadrian and Arturia fought Julius and his servant to a standstill. Although, the reason for doing so was not because Hadrian wanted to beat them, but to stall for time until the Moon Cell stopped the battle officially. Fortunately, Hadrian, Rin and Rani managed to live through it and even pushed Julius and his servant back throughout the fight.

But in return, Hadrian was forced to sacrifice one of his Command Spells to amplify Arturia's parameters to counter the enemy servant's attacks. It was also thanks to the girls' servants' assistance that they had kept Julius and his servant at bay by sacrificing themselves, despite their weakened state.

What happened after was a blur, but Hadrian can still remember how Rani and Rin reacted to the result of the close-encounter.

They both lost their servants, but they survived from Julius's trap because of him. After being thanked (by Rani) and scolded (by Rin) for saving them, they had decided to help him win the war from then on since he still had Arturia, and they continued to lend their assistance to him every week since their survival depends upon his chances to win the battles.

After that incident, Hadrian got immediately pitted against a peculiar Master and Servant pair.

The Master was **Monji Gatou**, and his Servant, **Berserker**, who was also known as the **White Berserker**.

Monji Gatou was a delirious fanatic who worshiped his Servant as his god, as all the religions that he had studied (he deemed) were flawed. He had thought her incomprehensible behavior as Berserker class was a test of will, and he believed that he can save humanity through his self-made religion and strived to make his servant into a true deity.

Simply put, he was an overzealous heathen with a questionable mentality and cannot be reasoned with.

Willing as Hadrian might have been to speak to him since Monji desired to save the world, he doubted his words can get through the guy since he worshiped a being that was far from a divine entity. That, and because he was quite willing to kill Hadrian in order to achieve his goal.

His servant on the other hand, had been reasonable enough to not kill him and Arturia when she regained her senses after their battle.

When they were pitted against one another in the war, Hadrian and Arturia had a difficult time in defeating Monji and his servant.

As he did with his previous enemies, Hadrian had done his research to know more about his enemy and his servant. He had discovered that Berserker's True Name was **Arcuied Brunestud**, the lone survivor of the True Ancestor's royal line that was believed to be the foundation of the vampiric species.

True Ancestors are unique existences even among vampires, for they are incarnated nature spirits. They are vampiric creatures from birth, however, unlike the Dead Apostles and other blood-sucking species, the root of their bloodlust was psychological rather than physical.

Also, because they are part of nature, they have the ability to use the power of '**Marble Phantasm**' to change the world around them accordingly to their thoughts. They can be classified as a type of large fairy and their foundation is of a Mystery that cannot be reached through Magecraft. They are said to be **Planet-class Spirits**, which is a higher rank than **Divine Spirits**.

What makes them terrifying was that nothing, no spells or weapons, can permanently kill a True Ancestor, due to the backup they received from the planet as part of the Counter Force.

His grandfather got lucky when the power of the Second True Magic pulled through and allowed him to kill **Crimson Moon Brunestud**.

Hadrian though, had to nothing to rely on but his knowledge about his enemy, his code hack spells, his Mystic Eyes and his Servant, Arturia, during that time.

Killing a True Ancestor via True Magic was one thing, but trying to kill one without it was a different matter.

Long story short, Hadrian and Arturia won the battle against Monji Gatou and Berserker. However, it had been a close run.

Due to Berserker's true nature, Arturia's most trusted weapon, Excalibur, was almost useless during the fight, much to Arturia's frustration. What gave them the chance to win the battle was because they had the fight on the inner side of the Moon. If it had been on earth, the entire situation would have gone differently and they would had been killed.

Still, the battle had been brutal and difficult regardless of their slight advantage. The Master may had been useless, but Berserker was not a joke.

Fortunately, luck had been in their favor and Hadrian carefully instructed Arturia to victory with his commands and with the help of his Mystic Eyes.

In that battle, Hadrian acts as her support with his spells and used his Mystic Eyes to see Arcuied's lines of death, her weak points, while Arturia was the knife to trace those lines.

Ironically, the one thing that he had thought to be his weakness had become the key for him to win and survived that battle, which was something that he can never forget. Although, the one surprising thing about that day was what happened in the aftermath.

Unlike Monji Gatou, who got deleted after the Moon Cell declared Hadrian and Arturia's victory, Arcuied Brunestud remained behind.

Hadrian remembered how shocked he was to see the pale woman still standing far away from them, dressed in her white turtleneck sweater and long purple skirt.

Before their last fight, Arcuied's appearance was quite fierce. Her long skirt was ripped, her gold shoulder-length blonde hair was disheveled, and the iris of her left eye was purple. Upon regaining her senses after the battle, both her hair and eyes returned to normal, her eyes gained a bright amber color and her clothes had been repaired.

To Hadrian, what stood out about her was her vicious crimson eyes, which clearly hinted her true nature as part of the vampiric race. Seeing her eyes then triggered a memory in his mind that allowed him to remember his grandfather, and the conversations he had with the old man when he was younger, along with it was his knowledge about True Ancestors.

When Hadrian recalled that particular information in mind, he was preparing himself for the worst possibility of fighting a True Ancestor at her full strength.

Hadrian and Arturia had beaten her, after all. Therefore, it would not be too far-off to expect that Arcuied might have intentions of continuing the battle on her own, just to get back at them. What even caused Hadrian to feel nervous at that time was letting Arturia fight a powerful opponent that already knew their tricks and strategy.

Arturia had done her best at their first round, but it had exhausted her, despite her assurances to keep fighting.

To their surprise, Arcuied Brunestud did not met their expectations.

At first, she seemed to have intentions to continue the fight, but had thought better of it. When they asked her, Arcuied gave them a rather vague answer.

"_Why? Hmm… perhaps it's because you remind me of someone I know. You smell like him too_." Was what she said before she ripped the space with her claws and left the Moon.

Needless to say, Hadrian and Arturia had been speechless by her reason, but were grateful and relieved at the unexpected turn of events nonetheless.

After the war, Hadrian had a lot of time in his hands to reflect on his memories during the brutal event. When he recalled her vague words, the first thing that came to mind was his grandfather since he was possibly the only one close to him to have some relations with someone like Arcuied Brunestud.

Although, he had yet to actually confirm this theory of his, considering as he had been rather busy travelling around the world in the past few months.

'_Hmm, something to ask opa later then_…' Hadrian mused.

He was brought back to reality when he heard Hugo speak.

"Yes, it is." Hugo nodded. "And it is also an honorary member of the 27 Dead Apostles. No actual reason was given why it was that, but I suppose the high rank Dead Apostles did it out of whim." Here, Hugo turned to Hadrian with a wry smile. "Young master, Lord Schweinorg is a part of their group, of which I'm sure you are aware of this."

Hadrian merely gave a nonchalant nod of acknowledge before Hugo continued.

"The Spider arrived here on earth sometime after Lord Schweinorg had defeated Crimson Moon. It landed on earth in a rather subtle manner, but when we discovered its existence and its location, we have always made sure to keep an eye on its movements. The idea of leaving it alone unsupervised was dangerous and unwise, given that the Spider is an Ultimate One."

Hugo stared at the massive fog in the distance with a faraway look in his eyes.

"Luckily for us, the Spider chose an uninhabited island to land, and so the High Council had decided to seal the island off from the rest of the world. The chances of letting its existence be known by the normal folk was simply too dangerous for us to let it happen. Therefore, we had to take certain steps to make sure that its existence never comes light." Hugo stated in a mildly grim tone.

In other words, the Mage's Association had to resort to every possible schemes to ensure the secret of the Spider's existence, which probably includes taking control of the media, manipulating the news, erasing and spreading false information, literally anything that they can get their hands on.

Hadrian had even heard from his grandfather that the High Council ordered magi of their selection to infiltrate all governments around the world to ensure that everything related to Magecraft was to be kept an utmost secret, including the knowledge of otherworldly beings such as the Spider.

Looking at the grim expressions of his retainers, they most likely arrived at the same conclusion as him.

"Does that also include the fog and those freaky clouds up there?" Yan asked, gesturing to the fog and clouds in the distance.

"Yes, among other things." Hugo smiled. "In fact, Lord Schweinorg had a hand in creating them."

Hadrian blinked in surprise, an action that was repeated by his retainers, who all turned to look at the Magus questioningly.

"Truly?" The young heir asked.

"Yes, truly." Hugo grinned, then it faded as a thoughtful expression settled on his face. "Although, I have no idea how he did it. Maybe you can ask the Chief Director about it later. I heard that he and Lord Schweinorg know each other way back before you were born, young master."

'_Chief Director, huh. He must be the one with the mistress._' Hadrian mused with a flat expression.

"Anyways, that's a conversation we can continue for later." Hugo continued. "We're about to enter the fog."

With that said, he turned to look at the fog that was getting closer to the yacht.

A second later, everything dimmed as the yacht entered the dense smoke made out of powerful magical energy.

Not a moment later, Hadrian's sight brightened up, but it was not as it had been before. The sun was still present, but in the distance, there was an island of moderate size. What made it different from the others were the large and tall pillars of crystals that can be seen from afar. They surrounded the island like trees, stout and quite noticeable.

It would have been a beautiful sight if not for the dreadful sensation lingering in the air. Instead, it made the island to be spectacular yet haunting in his eyes.

"Welcome to the Spider's nest, everyone." Hugo announced to his astonished guests.

...

* * *

…

After they had entered the fog, Hugo quickly instructed the captain to drive the yacht to the right side of the island.

It was there that Hadrian and the rest saw a large floating platform that was facing the strange isle. They had not saw it then when they entered, but after Hugo used the radio to contact someone, the barrier that was hiding the platform unraveled after he had finished speaking to someone, causing Hadrian to assume that Hugo spoke to someone who was inside it.

Several minutes later, Hadrian and the rest disembarked the yacht and found themselves standing on the outside area of the floating platform with a group of people waiting for them.

Leading them was a middle-aged man with dark blonde hair and brown eyes, who was dressed in a neatly tailored black suit. Calm and collected he may seem outside, there was a glint in his eyes that gave away his excitement and slight nervousness as he observed the people disembarking the yacht.

After Charlie, Dia and Arturia stepping into the platform first, Hugo and Hadrian were the last to exit. The rest of his retainers were simply waiting for them, looking around in wonder.

When Hadrian came near, the middle-aged man in the black suit slowly approached him with a smile, surprising Hadrian for a moment.

"Welcome to the Watch, young master. My name is Edward Miles, and I'm the Chief Director of this humble organization." The middle-aged man, Edward Miles, introduced himself.

'_So, this is Edward_…' Hadrian thought as he shook the man's hand.

"Hello." The young heir greeted with a small smile.

While his greeting was genuine, Hadrian can't help but give the older man a pitying look as he recalled his grandfather's words in their last conversation, to which Edward was inwardly curious about what it was for. But, it was so quick that the older man thought he was just imagining it.

'_Eh? Is it just me or is he pitying me for some reason?_' The Chief Director thought.

He couldn't have been more right then and there.

...

* * *

...

After the meet and greet was over, Hadrian and the others were led inside the platform.

To their surprise, what they had seen from the outside was not the rest of the base. Rather, it was simply a part of their headquarters. Below the floating platform leads down to the rest of base, which was underwater, so they have to take the elevator to get there.

Hadrian had to marvel at the sight of high-tech machinery and devices within the headquarters.

'_These are state of the art technology supporting this base, but what's this? The power source surrounding this place uses magical energy, but also natural energy_.' Hadrian mused, recalling the Moon Cell's report as he looked around the interior of the underwater base.

When they stepped out of the elevator, Edward Miles led Hadrian and the others to the meeting room where they can speak in private.

As they went and followed the older man, whispers and stares followed at Hadrian's wake, which never ceases to amused the retainers.

"Is that the Prince?"

"What?! Where?"

"Whoa, those guys at the Clock Tower are not kidding about his aura…!"

"Someone that beautiful should be a sin." A young woman sighed wistfully.

"Why's life unfair, man?" One man complained.

"He's got many guards around him, man. Shit's insane!"

"Well, he is the heir to the Schweinorg house, ya know."

"Damn, he's dangerous in all kinds of ways." A woman in her early 20's commented, staring intensely at Hadrian's form.

"As expected of the Crown Prince." The man beside her agreed, mistaking her comment as disapproval.

"I meant that as a compliment. Not in a negative manner, stupid. He's sexy."

"He's still fifteen, you witch. You're sickening to be having the hots for a child."

"Moron, I don't care about that. We're magi, so when had we ever care about things like age differences. Only the normal folk would care about useless things like that. He's still hot and gorgeous, and what are you implying, eh? Are you saying I'm old!?" The woman angrily said.

"Ah… Hm? What are we talking about again?"

In response, the man standing beside her received an elbow to the gut, courtesy of the woman.

The retainers chuckled, amused at the reactions of the staff as they followed after their oblivious Master, whose attention was with Hugo and Edward as they conversed among themselves.

"He he, this never gets old." Astolfo whispered to Charles, who was walking beside him.

"It never does." Charles agreed with a grin.

The rest of their walk was spent in silence as the Chief Director and some of his staff guided them to the meeting room. As they followed, Hadrian and his retainers spent their time looking around the base, observing how the members of the Watch worked and interior of the base.

Although, one of his retainers, Astolfo, couldn't contain his wonder and excitement as they went around the base.

The pink-haired servant looked like a child touring around the aquarium, which might not be far off in this case. The Chief Director seemed to be giving them a short tour of the headquarters as they headed over to the meeting room, seeing as they had been walking around and stopping by in different areas now that Hadrian thought about it.

Their subtle perusing came to an end when they arrived to the front entrance of the meeting room, which they were soon ushered to enter and they found themselves seated in front of a long polished table made of dark wood with intricate details. The three chandeliers aligned above the table serving as a light to brighten the room, while a large window to the left showed a beautiful underwater view.

"Master, look! There's a family of dolphins over there!" Astolfo pointed out excitedly, tugging the sleeve of his jacket to get Hadrian's attention.

"Yes, I see it." Hadrian smiled, feeling happy at the sight of sea animals as well.

As someone fond of seeing spectacular scenes of nature, Hadrian also felt happy to see the beautiful underwater view before him, much like Astolfo in this case. Seeing the sea animals was only the added benefit of coming across such a sight.

The brief respite however was interrupted as an audible cough made itself known, catching everyone's attention in the room.

When they turned to the source, they saw Edward Miles seated at the head of the table, who began to speak.

"Well, now that we are here, let me first say that it is an honor to have you here, young master." Edward Miles bowed his head slightly to Hadrian's direction.

In return, Hadrian gave him a nod of his own, but remained silent as he let the Chief Director continue.

"But, as I've been told of your straight approach in business, we will just get right down to the issue. As I'm sure you have been informed by Hugo over there," Edward nodded to Hugo Faust, who was sitting to his right before he turned back to Hadrian. "We require your assistance on an important matter that relates to the Watch."

"So I've been told, but Hugo hadn't elaborated more on the issue other than the fact that it concerns you." Hadrian said in a thoughtful manner, recalling the conversation he had with Hugo while they were on the yacht on the way to the floating platform of the Watch. "That, and because of the Spider."

"Then, please allow me to elaborate on this matter." Edward cleared his throat, straightening his posture. "The ones that we suspect targeting the Spider might be related to the mass murders occurring around the world. This, of course, is an important issue that must be taken care of immediately."

Contrary to what Hugo and Edward were expecting, Hadrian did not looked surprised by the grim revelation. Instead, he appeared calm and composed, legs crossed as he leaned back in his chair.

How could he be surprised anymore since it was one of the things that he had always been suspecting of?

"How sure are you?" The young heir asked.

"About 87 to 95% sure." Hugo answered with a wry smile.

"And opa's thoughts on this?" Hadrian asked next, expression thoughtful.

"He also thought the same." Edward said. "In fact, we had been discussing this topic last week."

Hadrian hummed, remaining silent as he mused over the issue while the rest (sans his retainers) waited with baited breath before he spoke again.

"Okay, then tell me what you all think of the ones targeting the Spider. While it's great to know that the subjects are related, the problem still remains the same and we need to make a move against whoever is after the Spider before they can begin. Knowing the ones that you're suspecting will be of great help in this case." Hadrian stated.

Hugo and Edward looked at one another, then Edward looked to his secretary, who was standing patiently behind his left.

The secretary was a woman with regal features and fit built. She was dressed in a white long-sleeve blouse with a black vest, a black pencil skirt that reached down to her knees, black stockings and a pair of high-heeled shoes. Her features were of European descent, a pair of green eyes and long brown hair that was tied into a neat bun.

"Ana, if you would." Edward said to her, gesturing with his hand.

"Certainly." Ana said curtly, stepping forward to give Hadrian a white folder that was held in her right hand.

Hadrian gave her a nod of thanks, which was acknowledged, before he turned his attention to the folder in his lap.

"The information we have is still incomplete, but the one in that folder might help." Edward said.

With that said, Hadrian opened the folder and began to inspect the contents within.

There was a lot of details written on the document, but the one thing that stood out to Hadrian was the photo located at the top and clipped on the paper to keep it in place.

The image was that of a man in his late 30's, who wears a blank expression on his face. He has short blonde hair that was slicked back, a pair of cold, piercing blue eyes and he held himself with an air of severity, which was a trait that most first class magi often adopt. His features were well-regulated, and he can be seen wearing a suit and black gloves in the photo.

'_One of the leaders of the Scladio family, an American mafia organization. Public persona is the CEO of an industrial waste. Suspected to be connected to the murders of over one hundred and twenty murder cases, including several mages, but evidence was always insufficient, which puts him under the surveillance of the Department of Justice Administration. Interesting_…' He mused as he read.

Noticing the file he was reading, Edward spoke.

"That man in the picture is **Bazdilot Cordelion**." The Chief Director explained. "A dangerous Magus that we have seen to be lurking around in areas that were connected to the murder cases. Despite the lack of evidence towards him, Lord Schweinorg was more than aware of his involvement with the murders to convince the High Council to keep an eye on him, and he was right to do so."

"Has he been seen around the city? Here?" Hadrian's brows furrowed slightly.

"No, we received report that he was in Russia at this current time." Hugo answered.

"But we did saw some of his underlings lurking around here in this country. So, our suspicion is justified." Edward added. "The problem is someone else. Please read the next file."

Hadrian did as he was instructed, and his eyebrows raised in surprise when he saw the contents.

While there were some details written regarding the target, the main thing that caught his attention was the photo clipped on the top edge of the file.

The young heir looked up, turning to both Hugo and Edward.

"Couldn't you have gotten a better photo? All I see here is a silhouette." Hadrian said with a raised brow.

The two older magi chuckled dryly, as if not knowing whether to be amused or be upset at his words.

Based on what he was sensing, the emotion was not directed at Hadrian but something else instead, which was the only reason that Hadrian was not offended.

That did not stopped some of his retainers to look sharply at the two older magi though. Charles, Rider, Dia and Arturia looked particularly observant as they seemed to glare at the two men, which they noticed immediately since Hugo and Edward seemed to sobered up and straighten up in their seats, coughing to break the slight tension.

"Believe it or not, young master, that's the best that we can get." Hugo reasoned with a sigh.

"Yes, unfortunately." Edward pitched in, looking weary as the other magus. "We tried to get a better quality, but…"

"But?" Charles prompted, who was standing behind Hadrian's right.

"The photographers all ended up dead, or they get the same capture as that one." Hugo finished with a grim smile.

"Really?" Astolfo asked, eyes wide in shock.

"Yes, really." Hugo said with a faint smile of amusement.

"The target was simply that good at hiding." Edward continued, looking weary as he leaned back in his seat with a sigh. "We also tried to a different route by having an inside man in their organization to get a closer look at the suspect, but in two days or a week, they either become MIA or we just find them dead in some corner of the world."

"We also tried to get more information through normal means, but as you can see, we came up empty, despite our resources." Hugo added.

"Hmm…" Hadrian hummed in thought, staring at the photo with a piercing expression.

Bright cyan eyes lowered to the printed contents below the image, reading the words silently.

'_Name: unknown. Gender: unknown. Profile: unknown. Huh. The only thing noteworthy here is this person's relation to the Scladio family, and yet they were able to evade detection from the rest of the world, despite these guys' efforts. How suspicious. That's not normal, even by magus standards. Something is strange here_…' He mused.

Hadrian thought about using the Moon Cell to find more information about the suspect, but decided to keep it as an option since he has a feeling that his grandfather might know something about it. He also cannot help but think back to what happened to him at the abandoned mansion.

'_The pieces just keeps on coming together, yet the main part is still missing. I wonder_…' Bright cyan eyes narrowed, piercing and thoughtful.

Hadrian shook his head, not just to snap himself out of his musings, but to also disregard the fleeting thought that came to his mind.

'_Nothing is concrete yet. It's just an assumption. Possibility, but not yet actually confirmed. Better to set it aside for now_.' Hadrian's lips pursed lightly.

He sighed before he looked up to Edward, who was patient and courteous enough to give him some time to think.

"Well, this is a matter that we'll have to deal with later on. I'll do what I can on my end to find out who this suspect really is." Hadrian announced, placing the folder on the table.

Hugo and Edward sighed in relief, looking as if the weight on their shoulders lightened up.

"That would be much appreciated, young master." Edward smiled.

"Yes." Hugo nodded, smiling. "Given how much effort and sacrifices was put into this matter, your help is welcome here."

"Hmm, I simply gave you my word since this matter does concerned the Spider. I have yet to actually make an effort to help you guys." Hadrian waved off their words, feeling a bit uncomfortable by their high expectations of him.

"Nonetheless, young master, your presence here alone is reassuring enough for us." Hugo insisted.

"Indeed." Edward took over. "As surprising as this sounds coming from us, we are not that powerful enough to contend with people like the Scladio family. We are already stressed out and occupied enough with watching over the Spider's status, but to also deal with the suspects' movements at the same time."

Without saying anything more, Edward shook his head tiredly with a sigh.

Hadrian should really count how many weary sighs he had heard since he arrived here, including his own, seeing as it seemed to be one of the things that remained consistent throughout his day.

In hindsight, he thought about their words and couldn't help but agree.

Keeping watch over the Spider's movements can stress out anyone, perhaps even his grandfather, but to also watch out for intruders was similar to pouring oil over fire. The pressure the people in the Watch must be high for them to be this tense, which makes Hadrian feel sympathy for them.

But, there were some things that he must know.

"Speaking of which, what is the Spider's condition?" Hadrian asked.

"Asleep." Edward smiled faintly. "It had been years since it had arrived here, but fortunately, it is still in hibernation."

"Do you have counter measures ready if it was the opposite case?" Arturia inquired, speaking for the first time since they arrived.

Edward blinked in surprise, as if realizing that Hadrian did not come alone. But, he got over it and regained his composure quickly.

"Ah yes, we do." Edward said calmly. "Although, it is really thanks to Lord Schweinorg that we do since he was the one who made it. He had built a device that runs on both magical and natural energy as its power source. He made use of the magical energy that the Spider emits, converting it into energy to power up the device that keeps the Spider asleep and the island sealed off from the world."

Recalling a certain memory in mind, Edward laughed, surprising most occupants in the room.

"Even if there's an earthquake, the island would remain undisturbed and the Spider will still be sleeping like a baby." Edward joked with a smile.

The air in the room lightened, causing some smiles to appear on his retainers' faces.

"Until this problem came along, that is." Hugo supplied with a lifeless chuckle.

That sobered up Edward, who coughed as his smile vanished.

"Yes, until this came." Edward sighed, almost slumping in his seat.

And just like that, the air returned to its solemn and slightly tensed air, causing Hadrian and his retainers to sweatdrop at the two magi's sudden switch in reaction.

"Well, you two sure are peaches and bright rays of sunshine." Kieran commented in a deadpan tone.

Instead of being offended, the two older magi merely chuckled, equally amused at his dry sense of humor.

"Back on topic, where is this device located?" Hadrian inquired politely.

"It's here hidden at the bottom of the headquarters." Edward answered. "It was once at the floating platform back when the Watch was still new, but Lord Schweinorg and my father had both decided to relocate the device in a place more secure and less obvious to be seen."

Hadrian tilted his head slightly, realizing something in his words.

"You weren't the first Chief Director of the Watch." Hadrian stated.

"No, I'm the second generation, and also the Head of my family." Edward said with a chuckle. "The first Chief Director would be my father, who also happened to be the founder of the Watch. He had made this organization at the behest of the High Council, but it was Lord Schweinorg who convinced him in the end. If not for Lord Schweinorg's support and generous finances, the Watch would have not be what it is today. My father knew Lord Schweinorg years ago, and when he passed away, I became the one to inherit his place here as the Chief Director."

Hadrian nodded in acknowledgement, finally getting a clear understanding of his grandfather's relation to the Chief Director.

Their conversation came to an abrupt halt when the phone in front of Edward Miles rang.

Putting the call on speaker so that everyone in the room can hear, Edward accepted the call.

"Yes, what is it?" The Chief Director asked.

"Sir, we have an emergency that needs your utmost attention." A male voice announced in an urgent tone. "Please come to the control bridge."

Edward looked at Hugo and Hadrian with furrowed brows, concern clear on his aging face before it was replaced by a calm and resolute expression.

"Very well, I'll be there." Edward said in a firm tone.

With a press, he ended the call and stood up from his seat, an action that everyone in the room had mirrored.

"What do you think that was?" Hugo asked.

"Honestly, I have no idea." Edward sighed. "But, I'm sure we'll find out once we get there. Please, everyone, follow me."

Without further ado, Hadrian and the rest was guided out of the meeting room as Edward led the way for them in the front.

As someone who had been in a life-and-death situations, Hadrian had become quite sensitive to sensing incoming danger. Therefore, he can't help but think that something had gone amiss while the meeting was ongoing as he followed with the others and watched as Hugo and Edward talked to one another on their way to the control bridge.

Later on that day, Hadrian would look back on this moment and sighed out of weariness and disbelief at how his day had went.

'_I really should keep a track record of how many times I heard that_…'

...

* * *

**Author's Note**

* * *

...

**Surprise, I bet you guys didn't expect the Spider to come in so quickly, no? ;)**

**As for the why, we'll have that covered later on as the story progress. I have my reasons for including that alien, you guys will see it soon enough. I'm the type of writer to include the small things and turn it into something more that relates to the story in the future.**

**Remember Hadrian's choice in restoring the world back into its healthy state? It'll have an effect on the story later on, so watch out for it! :)**

**Next, let me discuss about the 'Zelretch' portion in the previous chapter.**

**I realized that some of you guys misunderstood what I was implying with Zelretch's power of the Kaleidoscope. So, let me clear that up now.**

**What I was trying to say in the previous chapter was not his actual uses for the True Magic was lessening nor about its effects either, but his ability to use it in its maximum capacity instead. Like for example, he can't use the Second True Magic like what he had done to Crimson Moon, blasting the moon back to orbit and all that.**

**He can still use the Kaledoscope in certain ways, but with the support of his mystic codes. Without their help, he won't be able to successfully pull it off, not without the risk of endangering his own life, which he is more than aware enough to never even consider the option, not unless he can get something significant out of it.**

**Remember, he was crippled after the fight with Crimson Moon, so he's not as strong here in MY story.**

**I think it's also the same in canon since the devs did implied about Zelretch's current state there. It was even included in his wiki page in Type Moon, which I'm sure you guys already know about. Otherwise, he wouldn't have given Rin and Luvia an assignment to collect the class cards in Fate-Kaleid Liner Prisma **** Illya.**

**He would done it himself if it was the opposite case, but alas, it was not. BUT, he's still quite a slippery Magician.**

**In TPOM (and most likely in canon too), Zelretch is still considered as one of the powerful beings in the Moonlit World due to his experience as a Magician and his own resourcefulness with the Kaleidoscope, despite his crippled status. He's certainly powerful, but only on certain conditions.**

**I guess it's my fault for not explaining it better. To be fair, I was already quite exhausted when I was editing that chapter out, so my brain was not exactly working at the maximum level at that time. Oh well, I'll just edit that part out later on to avoid another misunderstanding.**

**Anyways, I hope that clears things up with you guys, KingAllen, Gen2324, and Kensei-1085.**

**Now, with that out of the way, I would like to say thanks for the continued support, guys.**

**I just saw the amount of follows and faves this story has, which surprised me honestly. I haven't logged in FF for quite a while now because of the craziness in rl these days, so it was a pleasant surprise the amount of interest that readers have for TPOM, which makes me honestly happy.**

**As for what's been going on with my life lately… well, it's the same with you guys, honestly.**

**I still have work, but not at the same level as it was before. So, I have to find other ways to help with the financial needs of the family. Just at home though, and I've been having trouble with it too since the quarantine is not making life easier on us. It's hampering with the family business, so it's not always good.**

**Good news is, I got some free time to write every now and then. It's not that much, but it's enough.**

**Also, I'm rejoicing at the fact that I finally got one of my favorite servants! Arturia has finally come home to me! With just six to seven tickets during the Saber wars event, I have finally got my Arturia! My blue baby BEAUTIFUL SABEEEEEEEEEEER! SOUND THE TRUMPETS, PEOPLE! THE KING OF KNIGHTS HAS COME HOME TO ME! T_T**

**Jokes aside, it's also quite an unbelievable roll, honestly. I mean, I wasn't even aiming for her. I was trying to get Mordred so that I can upgrade her NP to level 2, but then Arturia sneaked up on me instead.**

**Not only that, I manage to snag Nero again and get her NP up to level 2 that time too. Red Saber was the first to appear after two or three tickets, then when the 6 or 7th ticket was gone, Arturia came up, which I'm very happy about! Tickets are really useful in my case when I want to get just one servants that has a rank up instead of the mixed one.**

**I even got Saber Lily before the Saber Wars ended, so it was a satisfying event experience for me, even though I didn't managed to get most of the materials.**

**Overall, it was a worthy trade off in my opinion! :D**

**On a different note, Lost Belt 1 has finally come! I'm excited to play it now, but I'm also finishing off the other pseudo singularities at the same time.**

**So, my playtime with FGO lately is split between starting the first Lost Belt and the pseudo singularities. I'm doing it that way because I want to get lots of SQs before the real main events come, such as Achilles and Skadi's banners, I mean! :3**

**Oh, and the Character Bio is almost finished. I just need to write about his list of abilities and go over it for a major edit, so wait patiently until then.**

**And that's all for now, I'll see you guys in the next chapter.**

**Stay safe and healthy, guys. Adieu! :)**

…

* * *

**Q & A**

* * *

…

**KingAllen, Gen2324, and Kensei-1085:**

**A** – Go read the AN above the Q&A for your answer.

…

**Dxhologram:**

**A** – Ha ha, aren't all the characters in the Fate universe a bunch of weirdos as well? XD

As for the anime, I have high expectations for it since just playing the game itself had already moved me enough. It goes without saying that the portrayal in the anime would be much even better and powerful even since there's voice acting and the characters' expressions won't be as stilted as it was in the game.

…

**Doortolight47:**

**A** – I probably will XD

As for Type Mercury's appearance in the story, I got my reasons, and all I can say about it is that it has something to do with Hadrian.

You'll just have to wait and see, my friend ;)

…

**Journey to the End:**

**A** – 'Traps are scary'? Yes, yes, they are.

As for Type Mercury… no, not really.

I find it rather amusing that you guys are thrown off by the Spider since I just mentioned it and you're all like acting as if Hadrian is about to go fight it XD

Anyways, as for the why, you'll see what I mean as the story goes on :)

…

**fruitspunchsamurai-987:**

**A** – Oh god, Siduri. You just have to remind me, man.

Out of curiosity, was she transformed as that alien-thing in the anime as well? Did they show it there and confirmed that Siduri was turned into a monster?

(I haven't watched the anime yet because I'm just that busy with rl, and this pandemic and all is not helping in the slightest.)

I forgot what those monsters were called. You know, the one that looks like an alien with a weird head shape and a mouth at the center of its 'face'.

It's been months since I finished the Babylonia singularity in FGO, but I remember that there was this one that wasn't attacking back, no matter how much damage you inflict upon it. It just appeared, and you're forced to fight it, but it didn't fight back and went away instead.

…

**Shiroyasha Rises:**

**A** – No, not really :)

If anything, it makes the story a lot more interesting in my opinion.

In my case, I included the Spider for a reason. You'll see what I mean soon enough ;)

…

**runelt99:**

**A** – Ha ha, I don't blame you for that :)

I only did mentioned his True Name a few times in the story, and most of the time, he was always called as 'Charles' since it is what he wants to be called by those he considered as allies and friends, which is Hadrian and the others in this case. I'm just keeping true to his character in canon. At least, most of the time.

…

**sugoijack9:**

**A** – Yes, he doesn't need it. Rather, in this case, the Regalia acts more like a physical symbol of his authority over the Moon Cell.

It's like Caliburn with King Arthur; a powerful sword, but more suited to be a symbol of his authority instead of his power.

As for him being OP, yes, I won't deny that he's all that. Although, he's not yet skilled and experienced as Zelretch and the others are. He has the power, but the skill and experience to use them is still far from acceptable. He has limits, and the problem he's having at the moment is how to use those powers, especially the Moon Cell.

Granted, he already knows a few, but we all know that the Moon Cell is a lot more capable than just a few functions. What we've seen in Fate/Extella was already proof of this.

At the same time, while he's learning how to use the Moon Cell a lot more efficiently, he's also trying to restrain himself from depending on it too much. It's a powerful tool that must be handled carefully and using it a lot might bring a consequence that can't be repaired with a simple wish.

Aoko Aozaki is a great example of this. She had great power, and while she did saved the world, she also doomed it later on. Hadrian is trying to prevent that from happening in his case.

He has all that power, but he has to learn how to use it wisely and not carelessly because even a small mistake might affect the future greatly. Butterfly effect, and all that.

…

**Stay safe and healthy, everyone. Adieu for now! :D**


	13. Chapter 12 — Arrival

…

**Yo, and welcome to another chapter of TPOM! :D**

**As always, I'll just leave most of my AN notes after the chapter is over, so I'll see you guys there.**

**And as per usual, feel free to leave a review, fave and (or) follow this story.**

**Much thanks to the ones that did all of the above. The support is always appreciated and encouraging, guys.**

**Enjoy the chapter, and happy reading, guys! :)**

...

* * *

…

"Speaking"

'_Thoughts_'

"**Spells**" or "**Abilities**"

*** Sound Effects ***

**[ Moon Cell ]**

…

* * *

**Chapter 12 – Arrival**

* * *

…

Except for their footsteps and small talk here and there, all was quiet as Hadrian and the others followed Edward Miles around the underwater base of the Watch.

For a brief moment, as they went through a long and spacious hallway, Hadrian felt a certain familiarity, one that he had felt during the grail war.

He remembered the several times of when the last day of the week had arrived, of which was when the time he would finally battle against a fellow Master, face-to-face.

The school was so eerily quiet and devoid of people, except for him, Arturia and a couple of NPCs hanging around the campus.

The sun was bright, sunny, and the weather was literally perfect, but to the Hadrian of that time, he had only felt dread and anxiety as he walked along the empty corridors of **Tsukimihara Academy**, a fictional place that had existed within the artificial environment called the Moon Cell.

One particular NPC drabbed in a black priest attire had been waiting for his arrival at the first floor of the school near the entrance, and behind him, there was an elevator that was created to deliver the surviving participants of the grail war down to the Arena, which was the place where two Master and their Servants would have to fight to the death.

The longer he survived in the war, the more calm and determined he became to survive that horrible event.

At the same time, Hadrian felt that he had lost something as well. Whether that was his innocuous ideals and morals or his light and peaceful purview of the world being tainted, Hadrian does not know, but what he was sure of was that he was not the same as he was before he joined the war.

Hadrian didn't noticed it himself, considering as he was more worried about planning ahead of the other contestants and keeping himself and Arturia alive throughout the weeks. However, it had eaten away at him during those times, lingering in the back of his mind like some leech siphoning some of his time and mental energy, distracting from time to time.

He had lost something, this he was sure of, but he can't put his finger on it. Not until a certain cold-blooded priest pointed it out for him to see, that is.

**Father Kotomine**… that was his name.

An NPC that was made to be the overseer of the Holy Grail War in the Moon Cell. He administered the local Church (that two certain witches had lived in before), which was outside of the .PH's jurisdiction. Based on the Moon Cell's reports, his appearance and presence were actually data transcriptions of a man who had once participated in the Holy Grail War many years ago.

Thus, he was knowledgeable about the Holy Grail, the Moon Cell, and the .PH. The cold-blooded priest had made a passing comment that if he was Hadrian's opponent, he would be dead.

Needless to say, his cold remark did not endeared him to Hadrian at all, but earned his quiet dislike instead.

Of course, Arturia assured him that she would always remained at his side to protect him, to never let anyone lay a hand on him, including that damn fake priest. She would even glare at the arrogant bastard whenever it was time for Hadrian and her to go down in the Arena and meet their next opponents.

But, it remained all the same, the fake priest's words got under Hadrian's skin, and that was the moment that made him realized to be extra cautious in the war.

Therefore, it had irked Hadrian to his core that it was the cold-blooded priest who would dare to make him see that he had changed when the war was slowly coming to a close.

Leonardo B. Harwey had been his next opponent at that time, and then the weird fake priest suddenly appeared on the first floor and said to Hadrian that he had adapted to the brutality of the war, that he had evolved from a bumbling innocent lamb to a beautiful, cunning and opportunistic predator.

Hadrian gave him a deadpan look at that time, feeling a bit creep out by his weird metaphor and description that came out of nowhere.

But, the intention had been clear, and it caused Hadrian to realize that the war had changed him at his core. Whether that was good or not, Hadrian felt that remains to be seen.

Yes, he was no longer as naïve and unprepared as he had been before. Hadrian had learned (the hard way) that being over-prepared in every situation might be too much, but it was never a bad thing, and remaining cautious to every encounter was always a step closer to ensuring his survival.

At the same time though, the brutal event had forced his hand and taught him to kill anyone in his path, no matter who they were, their gender, age, and relation to him.

Shinji Matou was his first opponent, and Hadrian killed him to advance to the next stage, despite their strange friendship. Dan Blackmore was his second opponent, and Hadrian killed him mercilessly, despite his respect for the old man and his staunch morals and ideals. Alice was his third opponent, and like with the other two, Hadrian killed her, regardless of her unique circumstances and age.

From there, Hadrian's morals took a large beating, going down the drain as the grail war continued and he survived to live and fight another enemy Master.

Disgusted as Hadrian was with himself and the Moon Cell's brutal methods, he can't deny that his experience as a Master had benefited him significantly.

If he had been as he was before, Hadrian would have never thought of hurting anyone, much less someone younger like Alive or someone who had earned his respect such as Dan Blackmore. On a side note, Hadrian might have hurt Shinji Matou, a scuff at the back of the head perhaps, but he would never thought of killing him outright if not for the grail war's rules.

In the Holy Grail War, defeat has the same meaning as being killed. Hadrian might not be the one to have actually done the deed, literally murdering his opponents, and that it was Moon Cell who had done the dirty work by deleting them from the system, but the fact remains that it was Hadrian who won and defeated them in the Arena.

There was no other way to advance to the next stage, but to kill and abide to the .PH's rules. It was to kill or be killed, simple and harsh it may be, but it was just that honest.

Rin had even said to Hadrian that everyone had their reasons for joining the war, and while the rules that the Moon Cell had implemented upon them was harsh and brutal, it was also fair and simple since all of them were fighting for the chance to make their own desires come true.

Kill everyone for the sake of one's wish, that was the rule of the war in its most simplest and common form.

And that was what Hadrian did to survive that brutal event.

Granted, he had saved Rin and Rani along the way, but it had only managed to ease his guilt somewhat. The rest of the contestants' blood was on his hands, this he can never forget, and it was what caused him to choose to restore the world back into its healthy form instead of being selfish and reviving his father.

Hadrian faced a choice between the two, and he chose the former with a heavy heart.

He loved his father, this was not in question. And as much as he wanted to bring his father back to life, the lives of many people, both young and old, and the world's future had been at stake, therefore Hadrian made the difficult decision of choosing the lives of the masses instead of only one, no matter how much he wanted to choose the latter.

It was why he felt ashamed and feared of going home, returning to his grandfather and mother to see their reactions of what he had to do in order to survive. Hadrian especially feared seeing his mother's reaction to the choice he made, that he chose the lives of other people instead of reviving his father and her beloved husband.

But contrary to what he expected, Lucia only stared at him when he returned to the castle before running towards him and pulling him into her arms, crying in relief and joy that he was finally home.

In the end, Hadrian had nothing to worry about, except for being scolded by his grandfather, his mother, Lord El-Melloi II and Lady Lorelei for being careless a few times in the war.

Hadrian huffed, feeling strange at the thought of being sentimental.

Walking down a hallway had made him reflect on his memories during the grail war, but it was the damn certain familiarity that was mainly at fault.

The familiarity of stepping into the elevator and being sent into the Arena once more, that is.

Admittedly, while he was feeling calm and composed, there was a small amount of anxiety that was in his chest, which also felt familiar to him and reminded him of the times he had also felt that way during the grail war. The emotion was there, but fleeting at the same time. The pressure and worries of being near to an Ultimate One's nest made him even more aware of it, making him frown.

Fou and Ryu, who both sensed their master's dark mood, cooed in comfort.

With a faint smile, Hadrian gave them a pat on their heads each as his gratitude for their concern for him.

'_I just hope that it's not a battle to the death with that thing_…' Hadrian sighed.

Not before long, Hadrian and the rest arrived in a hall with a set of stairs and a sealed twin doors that was at the top.

They followed Edward and his a few of his staff up the stairs, then waited as Edward used his authority as Chief Director to open the doors. They were quickly ushered inside and found themselves in a spacious room with a lot of technical equipment in sight and large glass windows on every side.

The room was about the size half of a basketball court, and most space were occupied with advance machinery. There were screens everywhere and a lot of employees at work as well. In the center of the room, there was a seat that was raised slightly from the ground, facing towards the large windows and overlooking the staff doing their own roles.

Hadrian and the others followed Edward into the room until the older magus walked up to the chair in the center and sat on it.

His secretary, Ana, followed him and stood by on his right.

After glancing at one another, Hadrian, his retainers and Hugo stood a few feet away from the two, observing the scene before them.

'_What's this waves of fear? Something grave must've happened…_' Hadrian mused, bright cyan eyes narrowed.

"Keanan, give me an update!" Edward said loudly.

One of the staff, who was rapidly speaking to another member, jolted up and looked behind him, sighing in relief when he saw the Chief Director had arrived.

The employee in question was a man in his early twenties. He was an average-looking man with short dirty blonde hair and brown eyes. Like the rest of the members of the Watch, he was dressed in a black uniform with the emblem of the organization on both of his shoulders, and around his neck was his ID.

Signs of exhaustion was clear on his face, as with all of the employees in the room.

"Thank the Root that you're here, Sir." Keanan gave him a salute as soon as he came near, then he stood in attention as he gave out his report. "We have a serious situation!"

"Well, out with it then, boy." Edward urged, frowning slightly.

"The nest has been breached." Keanan announced with a grim expression.

'_I suppose that's why_…' Hadrian deadpan.

The news made many eyes go wide in surprise and shock, but some were quick to regain their composure and face the situation with a calm and steady mind, despite the dangerous situation.

"What? Who, and how?" Edward demanded, aghast and in disbelief.

"We do not know yet, sir, but we suspect that there might either have an inside man in our ranks or found some way to enter the fog safely without our detection." Keanan answered, sweating a little under the pressure of his boss's angry and demanding gaze. "We also have yet to discover the identity of these intruders, but we do know that there are three of them."

When no one spoke for a few moments as they processed the information, Hadrian had decided to cut in and ask his own questions.

"And where are they now?" Hadrian inquired in a polite tone.

Keanan blinked, as if recognizing who had spoken and was surprised by his presence, but he snapped himself out of his daze.

"Uh, they're on a boat and on the way to the island." Keanan answered.

Feeling the fear of the people in the room grow, the young heir to the Schweinorg house made his decision right then and there.

Breathing through his nose once, Hadrian closed his eyes for a moment.

'_Moon Cell_.' He began.

Hadrian didn't need to say the words. He knew that the automaton would immediately understand what he wants, even without thinking about it, which was one of the benefits of having the Moon Cell Automaton fused with his soul. Sensing what he desire was enough for the Moon Cell to take action and abide to his wishes.

[… **Initiating** …]

[… '**Moonlit Eye**' **activated**…]

'**Moonlit Eye**' was the Automaton's observational ability, of which he discovered a few months ago when he was still learning how to use the Moon Cell effectively and efficiently in terms of combat. It enables Hadrian to 'view' the target's location with the Automaton doing most of the work to seek and find them all over the world.

When he told his retainers about it, most of them looked quite impressed, while some had given him strange looks, staring at him as if he was a monster in disguise.

Hadrian can't blame the latter group, having the Moon Cell in his possession does make him overpowered in the eyes of others.

But, Hadrian could care less of their views, even that of his retainers, and he would often shrug it off like dirt off of his shoulders.

With the help of the automaton, Hadrian found that the intruders were already scattered all over the island, running off into each three cardinal directions. There were three intruders, and he saw that all of them were wearing black cloaks and white masks that made them elusive to the Moon Cell's observational ability, which made Hadrian unable to find out their identities and see their features.

One intruder was in the west, the second was in the east, and the third was in the south, which was in the center of the island.

In addition, Hadrian kept note of their differences in physique.

The one in the west was tall and broad-shouldered, causing Hadrian to estimate that the intruder must be six and seven feet tall and heavily fit for combat. The one in the east was around six-two feet tall and quite fit as well, while the one in the south has the above average height of a grown man, probably around five-eight feet tall, but slimmer in built.

But, what roused his suspicion and curiosity was their reason for running off those places in the island and then stopped, remaining in one place as if they were on standby. It was quite obvious to him that they have a reason to do what they did, the question that Hadrian wondered was why.

'_Again, the automaton can't get through this arcane. Just like that time in the abandoned mansion_. _What a headache_…' Hadrian shook his head, then he paused. '_Hm…?_'

Hadrian blinked, realizing something.

The young heir noticed that the three masked intruders were actually carrying black sacks over their shoulders, which Hadrian only realized just now. The two in the west and east have two sacks each in their arms and shoulders, while the one in the south only has one, and now Hadrian was watching them dropped their burdens on the ground.

As he watched them did so, Hadrian thought of the possibilities of whatever might be in those bags.

'_Hostages? Possibly, but two of them looked big enough to fit a human, but there are those that are too small_…' Hadrian mused.

Whatever that was in those burlaps, Hadrian knew that the three must be stop and nothing would gain him by standing idly.

Finding the intruders and his musings had only occurred in a matter of a second, thanks to '**Memory Partition**' and '**Thought Acceleration**'.

The two abilities were quite helpful in allowing him to make up plans upon plans, though the one flaw about the former magecraft was that all thought processes only work on one goal.

Hadrian normally uses the two abilities in combat, seeing as it enables him to think of separate ideas of how to take out his enemies and calculate the chances of the success rates of his plans, along with the data he gathered. But after the Moon Cell fused with his soul, he only uses the two sometimes.

Nevertheless, the two abilities remains helpful to him in these types of situation.

Opening his eyes, Hadrian felt that it was time for him to make his move.

And so, he turned to his retainers, who seemed to be attentive to his mood and were already awaiting his orders.

'_Good_…' Hadrian nodded, approving of their mental preparation.

"Charles, Scáthach, you two will move to intercept the intruder that's in the west. Rider, Yan, Astolfo, get the one in the east. Arturia, Arash, go meet the one in the south." Hadrian commanded, then he turned to the remaining two. "Dia, Kieran, you two will stay with me here. Someone needs to help me guard this place."

"Gotcha, boss." Yan and Arash gave out their friendly salutes, grinning.

"Kay, Master!" Astolfo chirped, grinning as well.

Charles simply gave Hadrian a thumbs up in acknowledgement to his instructions. Rider and Scáthach were also silent, but they gave him a nod of acknowledgement as well. Arturia nodded her own assent to his orders, along with Dia. The only one who seemed out of sorts was Kieran, who looked around him with an anxious expression before settling his gaze upon Hadrian.

Seeing Hadrian's raised eyebrow, a silent question of whether he was willing to participate, Kieran let out a weary sigh.

"Dammit, I knew this shit's goin' happen…" He muttered under his breath, scratching the back of his head out of frustration.

In other words, the amber-eyed Servant will follow his orders, but it was quite obvious to anyone that he was not happy about the situation, dreading it more like.

Hadrian chuckled, then turned to face his other retainers, who had been quietly watching their exchange with amusement in their eyes.

"Before you all set off, keep in mind that our goal here is not to cause extensive damage on that island. No matter how things go, remember to not use too much of your powers and do your best to try and capture one or all of them. Break every bone in their bodies or bring them to a near death state, I do not care. Just make sure that they can still talk." Hadrian stated with a calm expression.

The sound of a gun being cocked was heard in the room, causing Hadrian and the others nearby to turn to Kieran, who was holding a black gun the size of a 50 caliber magnum in his right hand.

"Aight, ladies and gents, you heard the man! Now let's bring those bitches down, so that we can all go home early!" Kieran shouted, looking fierce as he held the weapon that Hadrian gave him before.

...

* * *

…

After issuing his orders, Hadrian watched as the seven retainers set off to go after the intruders that were on the island.

From what he had gathered by the bits of their conversation as they left the control room, it seemed that each party had their own plans on how to get to the island, which they all proposed to do it but have yet to decide on one. It was a trivial matter that Hadrian would leave up to them, but he also hoped that they won't take too long and quarrel about it.

With a sigh, Hadrian turned to the two retainers that remained behind, Dia and Kieran.

The two were opposites of each other in posture and attitude. Dia's stance was rigid, back straight and standing tall, heeding attention to whatever orders that Hadrian was about to issue, while Kieran was more casual and relax in his stance, one of his hands was on his hip with the right holding the mystic weapon beside him and he leaned most of his weight on one foot than the other.

"Okay you two, you're task for today is to ensure the security and guard the headquarters. Use lethal force if necessary, just don't go too far." Hadrian informed them.

"Guard the headquarters? Boss, I thought that the intruders are on that island?" Kieran asked, blinking in surprise.

"That may be, but we still have to remain on guard nevertheless. Standing by on that island might just be their ploy to lure most of our forces over there and infiltrate this place." Hadrian explained.

"Like bait and dupe then?" Kieran guessed, his curiosity sated when he saw him nod in confirmation.

"Hmm, that is true." Hugo agreed, overhearing the trio's conversation from his nearby position. "Given their strange movements and timing, it just might be the case."

"Indeed, but I suppose that we'll know the answer in time." Edward added with a nod.

"Speaking of which, can you have some of the monitors follow my retainers, Mr. Miles?" Hadrian asked.

"Not that I doubt you, but what for?" Edward blinked.

"To observe their confrontations." Hadrian stated calmly. "I need to have eyes on them to see who we are about to face."

After a moment of musing, the Chief Director of the Watch nodded.

"Very well, I'll have some of my men follow your people's movements." Edward announced, then turned to Anna. "Anna, if you would please."

"It shall be done." The bespectacled woman nodded, stepping away from her position beside the Chief Director to do what was asked of her.

After seeing the woman begin to work and arrange his request, Hadrian turned back to Dia and Kieran, who gave him their utmost attention when they saw the serious expression on his face.

"For the meantime, you two are on standby unless there is an emergency, so prepare yourselves to move at my orders." Hadrian advised.

"Yes, milord." Dia nodded.

"Gotcha, Boss." Kieran gave him a lazy salute.

Hadrian was about to move forward when an idea came to mind, causing him to halt and slowly turn to the two retainers behind him, who both looked at him curiously.

"On second thought, you two, come with me for a moment." Hadrian said mysteriously.

Dia and Kieran exchange glances at one another, clueless as to what their master was planning.

...

* * *

…

At the platform of the Watch, a rather strange argument has taken place.

"I still say that we should take the speedboat to get there, guys." Yan Qing argued, looking disgruntled.

"I have no issue with that method of transportation." Arturia began calmly. "However, I believe that I can arrive there faster on foot. All of you can take the boat if that is what you prefer."

"How the fuck are you goin' get there on foot?" Yan asked, skeptical.

"I have my ways." Arturia simply said, meeting his eyes head-on, which only seemed to irritate the long-haired man.

"Same here, I can just take my Griffon and get there faster!" Astolfo chirped in, grinning with his hands behind his head.

"Not you too, pinky." Yan groaned.

"… I can also do that with Bellaphron." Rider quietly added.

"Lady, you aren't helping." Yan deadpanned, rubbing his temples to ease his headache.

For several minutes, Yan Qing had been trying to convince the two retainers (Arturia and Astolfo) that taking the speedboat would be better and faster for all of them to arrive on the island in time. The intruders don't seem to have any intention of going anywhere after they arrived on the island, so Yan felt that it would be a better, safer, option for them to get to the island by using the speedboat.

But, the two stubborn idiots laid down their own plans of transportation and the argument began from there as disagreements came from each side.

Now, while their reasons were valid and perhaps even better than his own option, Yan's concern was that they might get ambushed if they were to arrive on the island one by one.

Also, Yan recalled that their Master had specifically told them to not cause too much ruckus while on the island, and knowing his fellow retainers' personalities, Yan was justifiably concerned that things might get blown out of proportions since Arturia and Astolfo were not the type of people to back down if their opponents were strong, what with their knightly prides and all.

Which just means shit in Yan's opinion.

To make matters worse for him, the three servants in question are speed-demons. Arturia, Rider and Astolfo were quite known to be fans of thrilling rides in their group, of which Yan had the absolute displeasure of knowing at the wrong moment in the past when they were still getting to know one another.

And now, their craving for speed has just appeared at the wrong time as well.

Curiously enough, the three retainers, Charles, Arash and Scáthach, were off to the side and had been outside of the argument between him and the others.

Charles was standing nearby, watching the spectacle before him with a smile of amusement, the cheeky retainer that he is. On the other hand, Arash and Scáthach were standing a bit far from them, conversing on a subject that they seemed to be quite invested in as they inspected the speedboat that Yan had proposed for all of them to use.

Yan sincerely hoped that the two would back him up on his option and helped him convince the others from proceeding with their reckless plans.

'_I think I'm starting to get gray hairs because of these three_…' The long-haired servant grunted in his mind.

Yan also found it ironic that he, of all people in their group, was acting as the voice of reason at this time when it should be someone else, like say Arturia, Charles, Scáthach, or Arash. Unfortunately in his case, one does not seem to be thinking properly at the moment, the other seemed to be more content in watching the argument by the sidelines, and the last two were occupied with something else.

'_Just great_… _The obstinate nature of certain servants revealing itself at its best_…' Yan sighed.

Fortunately, a certain Servant of the Bow stepped in with his usual cheerful smile and aura, gathering everyone's undivided attention by clapping his hands loudly, twice.

"Okay, guys, that's enough argument for the day." Arash began. "Calm your horses, all of you. There's no need for us to waste time like this, not when our Master is counting on us to capture those intruders on the island. Besides, Scáthach and I have already prepared a plan of our own to get there faster." Here, Arash's eyes glinted with mischief as he grinned. "Much faster."

"… Eh?" was the sound that escaped Astolfo's mouth.

The rest of the retainers (sans Scáthach) looked at the tall brown-skinned man with confusion in their eyes. Deep down, they also felt something strange when they saw Arash's smile, something odd and almost ominous, and it was only to Yan's regret that they were all too late to realize what the two retainers had in mind, much to his frustration.

...

* * *

…

Meanwhile…

Hadrian (with Fou and Ryu still hitching a ride on his shoulder and head respectively), Dia and Kieran were on the way to return to the control bridge.

Earlier, he had just visited one of the areas in the headquarters where he had set up something in case of an emergency, and now he and his retainers are walking their way back to the Edward and Hugo, who were both waiting for them inside the control bridge. His furry familiars went along with them since they do not want to be left behind in the control room with a bunch strangers.

Leading the front was Hadrian, while Dia and Kieran were behind him two feet away.

All was quiet throughout their walk, aside from the quiet whirling sounds of the machinery that surrounded the headquarters. The audible noises that came from the sea creatures that appeared behind the transparent glass every now and then was soothing enough to make the silence bearable, comfortable even.

That was, until a certain servant had decided to break it.

"Hey Boss, ya think that the guys are still up there?" Kieran asked.

Dia was silent, but he was also looking at their liege to see his response.

"Hmm, I do not know. I suppose we'll see once we return." Hadrian answered, not bothering to look back.

Without another word, the three of them made their way back to the control room within a few minutes.

Like before, Hadrian returned to his position beside Edward and Hugo, but when he arrived there, he noticed something peculiar. The older magi were not paying attention to his presence. Instead, they were captivated by something that was happening on the large monitor above and in front of the chair that Edward was sitting on.

"What the fuck?" Kieran muttered, causing Hadrian to glance at him.

The young heir noticed that his retainer has an odd expression that was caught between amusement and confusion, as if he didn't know whether to be amused or confused by what he was seeing. Not only Kieran, but Dia, Hugo and Edward also appeared to be in the same boat, much to his curiosity.

With a huff, Hadrian turned his head and peered into the monitor, only for his expression to turn flat as he finally saw what was happening on the screen.

The first thing that he realized was that Charles, Astolfo, Arturia, Rider, Scáthach, Yan and Arash were all on a black speedboat large enough to fit all of them. The second was that Yan seemed to be tied up and gagged with a white cloth, lying at the end of the speedboat on his side with a grinning Charles and Astolfo holding him down with one of their hands as they kneeled beside him.

The third was that Arturia looked determined, but somewhat apprehensive as she held on to one of the metal handles for stability. The same can also be said with Scáthach, Rider, Charles and Astolfo, who were all holding onto something while they were near the edges of the speedboat, as if they were bracing themselves for any sudden movement.

Curiously enough, it was Arash who was attention-catching.

The tan skinned retainer was standing near Charles, Astolfo and Yan at the end of the speedboat. His expression still cheerful, but held a hint of steel-like determination. What was interesting about him were the two straps attached to his belt, which Charles and Astolfo were holding onto with their other free hands.

'_Yan looks annoyed and screaming something_…' Hadrian can't help but make an observation.

The young heir sweatdrop when he saw Astolfo stuffed the white cloth in Yan's mouth even further, grinning like a loony as Yan struggled even more in his restraints, wriggling like a worm. He heard a loud cackle (from Kieran) behind him when Hadrian saw Arash lifted one foot and placed it on Yan's downed form, using his fellow retainer as a foot stand.

"The hell are those guys planning now?" Kieran wondered aloud, bemused.

Hadrian has an idea of what they were planning, considering as he noticed the runes etched all over the speedboat, which he knew was Scáthach's doing.

When Arash summoned his bow and Hadrian felt a slight drainage from his od reserves, the answer quickly became obvious to them.

"STELLAAAAAAAAAA!" Arash's loud voice came out of the speakers.

***BOOM***

A bright golden light appeared and overwhelmed the monitor's sight, blinding them for a moment. Then, when the camera's view came back, his retainers were no longer there.

…

…

…

Silence permeated the control room for a few moments as they all stared at the one spot that was once occupied by the retainers in question before…

"Well… there's your answer, Kieran." Hadrian said with a sigh.

In response, Kieran snorted in amusement, taking in the way most of the occupants the control room were gaping at what just happened.

"Okay, even I was not expecting that." Kieran chuckled dryly.

Hadrian agreed, but he was busy wondering about one thing.

'… _How did Arash convinced Arturia and the others to go along with his plan, I wonder?_'

...

* * *

…

"Ha, ha, well… that was fun!" Arash stated, wiping the sweat off of his forehead with a refreshing smile.

"Yup. I don't mind doing that again!" Astolfo agreed, doing a fist pump to the sky.

Sending Astolfo an amused smile, Arash glanced at the silver bracelet around his right wrist. There is a tiny vial filled with liquid resin attached to it, while inside was a red feather glowing with a strange light. It was a gift from his Master, who had vaguely explained to him once that it was a good luck charm that can prevent the fatal side-effect of his Noble Phantasm from ever taking his life again.

Arash hadn't needed a more detailed explanation from his Master other than that, thanking the young man instead of asking questions.

He was curious as to how the item had prevented him from dying via after activating his Noble Phantasm, but Arash held himself back and reminded himself that his master was a Magus, despite his young age and noble ideals. Letting a mystery remain as one was one of the main components in Magecraft, and it might be detrimental for his master if Arash decides to know more.

The item was worked to prevent him from dying ever again and that was what matters to him the most, regardless of his curiosity on the matter.

Exhaling through his nose, he looked behind where his other fellow retainers are located and took in the scene.

Charles was on his knees, looking a bit dazed but mostly fine as the seconds pass. Rider appeared a bit winded, but she managed to recover quickly. She was even arranging her long lavender hair to get rid of any tangles before dusting off any dirt that might be on her clothes.

"Ugh… never again." Charles groaned as he straightened up his posture.

The others looked quite unfazed by the haphazard landing earlier.

Scáthach was already taking the lead, scouting for any movements as she looked around their new surroundings.

Astolfo and Arturia were already behind her, copying her action as they inspected the area as well. Although, the former looked a bit too jolly to be looking around instead of being serious like the other two, which was nothing out of the ordinary when it comes to the pink-haired servant.

The only one who was not fine was Yan Qing, who Charles and Astolfo had to carry before they got off the speedboat.

The long-haired retainer was on the ground, still tied up and gagged. The only difference was that Yan was not conscious at the moment.

'_Huh, he must've passed out earlier_…' Arash mused, recalling the dangerous landing they had before.

The speedboat nearly landed on a boulder earlier, but thanks to Arturia's quick thinking, they managed to avoid it when she used '**Strike Air**' to propel the speedboat forward while still in mid-air. Arash was also thankful that Yan was tied up and unconscious during that time. Otherwise, they would never hear the end of his cussing.

His fellow retainer can be quite creative when it comes to profanities.

Just as he was about to go and wake up his fellow retainer, Yan woke up on his own, startled and screaming, but the sound was muffled, thanks to the white cloth that was still in his mouth.

Hearing the sound as well, Astolfo looked over his shoulder and his grin widened when he saw that his fellow retainer had awoken. He skipped over to them and crouched in front of Yan's prone form, looking down at him with an innocent expression that seemed to annoy the hell out of the long-haired retainer.

"Oi, Yan! You woke up!" Astolfo greeted with a cheery grin, waving down at him.

"MFFPH!" was Yan's muffled response.

Knowing the man, Arash knew that Yan was probably screaming out profanities at the pink-haired servant. On the other hand, there was a sense of urgency in his tone when he screamed, as if he was feeling something like pain or anger in that moment.

'_Probably even both_…' The servant of the bow mused.

With a slight shake of his head, Arash walked to the two retainers and kneeled on one knee, then used his hands to put Yan into a sitting position before taking off the white cloth in his mouth, which the long haired servant appreciated and showed by giving him a nod of thanks.

Then, he face-faulted, taking on an annoyed expression as he recalled what just happened.

"Thanks, but what the fuck was that!" Yan exploded, glaring at Arash.

"My method of instant transportation?" Arash answered, amused by his reaction.

"Oh, fuck, if it ain't that obvious!" Yan retorted. "And will you morons untie me already. I've had enough of being on the ground. My ass is getting cold and stinging, you bastards! Let me up!"

"Cold? Stinging?" Arash echoed, confused.

Nevertheless, the Servant of the Bow heeded to his demand and freed him from the ropes. Once he was untied, the three retainers all stood up, with the two staring at Yan in amusement as they watch him grumble under his breath while he dusted the dirt off of his clothes.

"Man, and these are my favorite clothes too. Shit…" Yan began cursing in mandarin under his breath, looking over his attire for any signs of damage as he did so.

"Didn't think that you would actually faint from that, Yan. You scared of great heights or something?" Astolfo teased as he sidled up beside him.

"Grrr… Fuck you, pinkie!" Yan growled, baring his teeth.

"Haa, pity I didn't took a picture earlier. That moment was actually quite memorable too!" Astolfo feigned a disappointed sigh, then shot a shit-eating grin at the fuming Yan just to mess with him.

"That's it! I'mma be fucking throwing you off of this island! Come here, you shithead!" Yan shouted, chasing after the pink-haired servant who was laughing maniacally as he ran off

Watching Astolfo and Yan with their usual antics, Arash thought about what Yan had said before. His musings was interrupted when he heard someone came near him, causing him to turn his gaze over to the left where he saw Charles crouching on one knee as he inspected the ground with curious eyes.

"Oh hey, look down, guys. The ground's black and cold." Charles laid one hand on the ground, then pulled his back immediately and shook it. "Like, really cold. It's ridiculous."

"Huh, that's weird." Arash commented, dropping on one knee as he observed the ground. "Didn't that Chief Director said that this is an island?"

"Yeah, he did." Charles confirmed with a nod. "Why're you asking?"

"Well, if it ain't obvious yet, buddy, the one we're standing on clearly doesn't look like one." Yan pointed out with a dry expression, somewhat tired from chasing after the pink-haired servant.

When Arash saw Charles's look of confusion, the servant of the bow merely smiled.

"He's right. Look here," Arash gestured to the black ground. "An island of this size normally has a healthy soil and rich with plant life, but the one we're standing on does not. The ground beneath our feet is black. It feels and looks dead. Not only that, but there are these crystals surrounding this place. Tall and dense as trees too."

"Correction, they were trees." A female voice stated.

The four male retainers blinked, then turned their gaze to where the voice appeared. There, walking towards them with nonchalance, was Scáthach, who was finally done with her surveillance. Arturia and, Rider were also following after her, watching the area with guarded expressions, something that Arash was not surprised to see.

Apart from Scáthach and Dia, the two retainers in question are the most diligent when it comes to scouting the surroundings for any signs of threats, which was a trait that Hadrian shares with them. In his case, Arash and the others would be in the other category. They are the more carefree type of servants, and would only adopt serious stances when in battle.

'_Well_… _most of the time, at least_…' Arash mused as he recalled their past shenanigans.

The group of retainers then formed a loose circle as Scáthach held everyone's attention when she stepped closer to the center.

"This island was once like any other before." Scáthach began, flipping some of her strands over her shoulder. "There are telltale signs of its previous state, but after that alien life-form had landed here and turned this place into its home, most of it were gone and it has become inhabitable to all creatures but it. The Spider's presence on this isle must've caused everything here to change."

"Um…" Astolfo said with a confused smile.

"You're smiling, but you don't actually know what she means, eh?" Charles asked, expression flat.

"Nope. No idea. Hehe…" Astolfo admitted with a sheepish expression.

"Thought so."

"What she means, pinkie, is that the alien is the only one who can live here comfortably." Yan elaborated in a dry tone.

''Ohhh." Astolfo nodded, looking childlike as he held an index finger on his chin. "Well, that's not cool. He's literally hoarding this place then. What about the small animals? The birds? Squirrels?!"

In response, Yan sighed at his fellow retainer's simple nature, face-palming with the others.

"I'm sure they're dead and long gone by now." Scáthach deadpan, then continued from where she left off. "Now, as I was saying, we should be careful in treading around this island. The vast magical energy of the Spider is the reason for this isle's current state, which makes this place in tuned to its senses. Our Master's advice beforehand might be justified in this case."

"Huh? But I thought that thing was in hibernation, so why the extra caution?" Charles asked.

"Just because it's in hibernation does not mean it will never wake up." Scáthach reminded him sternly. "Natural disasters might not disturb it from its sleep, but the same cannot be said with things that were caused by magical energy. Let's say… your Noble Phantasms, for one. **It** lives here, so it wouldn't surprising if it somehow awakens from all the ruckus we might possibly make later on."

"Hmm… valid point." Arturia agreed with a solemn nod. "What is your proposal in tackling this one, then?"

"Yeah, a fight would be inevitable at this point. Not with those bastards round here." Yan chimed in, arms crossed over his chest.

"I suggest we resort to physical means of combat. Less reliance on attacks of magical energy would do the trick. We can still use our weapons and spells, but the ones that rely on great amounts of magical energy will have to be forbidden for now. Arturia and Charles's Noble Phantasms, for example." Scáthach advised, glancing at the two retainers in question.

"Gotcha, sis!" Charles saluted, giving her a nod of confirmation, blissfully ignorant of the mild glare sent at his way.

"I shall keep that in mind. However, I might resort to using mine should the enemy prove themselves stronger than we expected." Arturia warned, a stern expression on her face.

"Noted, but let's hope it doesn't come to that. For our Master's sake, at least." Scáthach said, trying to be optimistic.

Although, having said that, there was a different voice inside her head that disagreed. Scáthach did not paid it any mind though, considering as it was merely her love for battles that was rearing its ugly head once again. As much as she would love to get the chance to fight the Spider, such an occurrence would bring trouble for her Master and that was the last thing that she wants to happen.

Therefore, she had to kill that urge and kept herself focused on the task at hand, which was to apprehend and interrogate the interlopers.

'_Some other time, I suppose_…' Scáthach mused, feeling slightly disappointed.

Her musing was interrupted when a familiar voice appeared in her head.

'_Hello? Can you lot hear me?_' Her Master's voice said.

All retainers present blinked in surprise, looking at one another as they realized what happened. They all heard their Master's voice inside their minds, and they heard it at the same time. Scáthach then realized that the mind link that allows for them (the servants) to speak to their Master telepathically was opened.

It was not something new, seeing as their Master had done it before in the past. First with Arturia in the grail war, then with the others and so on.

In fact, all Masters in the grail war had some telepathic link that they used to talk to their servants via thought, what with their contracts acting as the anchor to make it possible. In their Master's case, the Moon Cell Automaton acted as the anchor, which was more convenient than other types of spells related to mental interference.

Kieran and Scáthach were the exception to this rule since they were not summoned by Hadrian. Kieran had been a Rogue Servant that was not summoned by the Automaton, while Scáthach herself was more of an independent Divine Spirit rather than a Heroic Spirit. Her contract with Hadrian was more or less the same with the others, but was deemed as a kind of partnership by her Master.

Which was something that often annoyed her since it caused Hadrian to give her less of his attention.

Scáthach preferred that Hadrian would lean on her for help most of the time instead of taking everything upon his shoulders by his lonesome. Granted, there were his other servants, but she also wants to help him more, just as much like the others. Scáthach wished she knew what was preventing him from being comfortable around her.

Of course, in respect to their privacy, only the active thoughts they have would be shared with the others in the 'room'. If Scáthach were to compare the experience to something, it would be similar to an online group chat, except the one they have was more versatile and safe from being hacked into.

'_Master?_' Astolfo called out.

'_That you, Boss?_' Yan asked next.

'_Yes, it's me. Since you guys are far away at the moment, we will have to resort to this type of communication again_.' Hadrian stated.

A round of voiced acceptance from all retainers were heard in the group mind link, with none were protesting to his words.

'_Before you all set off, I just wish to tell you guys to be mindful of your actions. You're all in the Spider's nest now, carelessness would be the last thing that any of us would want to happen. Therefore, please avoid using attacks that requires a great amount of magical energy. I don't wish to have an angry Ultimate One disturbed from its sleep_.' Hadrian implored gently.

'_We know and we'll try, Master_.' All retainers, sans Dia and Kieran (that cockroach, she thought), answered simultaneously, almost bored since they already discussed it earlier.

Their Master can be a worrywart sometimes. In hindsight though, given their current situation and location, his concern was justified.

'_I'll be providing support for you guys here, so do your best to follow through with the plan. Oh, and one more thing, keep a lookout for any spawns of the Spider_.'

The retainers blinked, turning to look at one another as if they just heard something ridiculous.

'… _Spawns?_' Charles said, almost hesitant to speak.

Back at the underwater headquarters, Hadrian resisted the urge to chuckle from hearing the cheeky retainer's tone of voice. It was as if Charles was spooked by what he said. Then again, as Hadrian looked at the monitors and saw his retainer's expression, he supposed that Charles was feeling scared at the moment.

Cheeky the retainer may be, it would simply be disrespectful if Hadrian let his amusement show. Probably after this was over, but he would have to hold it in for the moment.

'_The Chief Director has recently informed me that the Spider made smaller duplicates of itself over the years it had lived on the island. Said spawns were used as servants to search for food on the isle and as its watch guards. Fortunately, they are currently asleep for a week and still are. He also said that they might wake up if you guys cause too much ruckus, so avoid using the **fireworks** please_.'

By 'fireworks', Hadrian meant the retainers' '**Noble Phantasms**'.

The retainers do not need an elaboration on what he meant by that, seeing as he often uses the term enough to describe their Noble Phantasms in the past.

'_Spawns… great_…' Yan deadpanned.

'_That…doesn't sound awesome_…' Charles added nervously.

'_Search for food? How? What do they even round eat here?_' Arash asked, morbidly curious at the thought of what a powerful alien considers food.

'_Apparently, there seems to be a few strange trees around the island that sprouted after the Spider had begun living there. According to the Watch, the trees are the main, if not their only source of food on that island. That might be the reason why the Spider and its spawns saw no reason to leave their home in search of sustenance_.' Hadrian added the last part almost as an afterthought.

'_They eat trees? Are they vegetarians, Master?_' Astolfo asked, finding the idea strange.

'_Ha ha, no. If only.._.' Hadrian laughed, then proceeded to explain. '_No, the trees are not their actual main source of food. Rather, it's the things that grew from them. They are called '**Blood Beads**', due to their tear-like appearance. The Watch had inspected one before, but never in person. They never got the chance to harvest one since it's quite dangerous to simply walk around the isle_.'

'_Blood Beads? Um, do they contain…?_' Charles trailed off, eyes wide with grim expectation.

'_Yes, it's exactly what you think. They do contain blood_.' Hadrian confirmed. '_It's not known if it's the Spider's or a human's, but I suppose we'll see when you encounter one of the '**Blood Springs**'_.'

'_Blood Springs?_' Arturia echoed curiously.

'_It's the name of the trees in which the Blood Beads grow out from_.' Hadrian answered.

'_Uh, Master, are you expecting for them to get some of these… Blood Beads for you?'_ Dia inquired in surprise.

'_They are already about to venture into the island. I might as well request for them to get me some of the beads while they are at it_.' Hadrian defended.

If the retainers were to see their Master's face, they would see him wearing a small pouting expression, causing him to appear younger and boyish.

'_Yeah, that is if they can leave that island with their limbs intact_.' Kieran scoffed with a shook of his head.

'_Ah, nevertheless, just remember to look out for snow-white trees with crimson tear-shaped objects growing out from their branches like fruits. Please get me five or ten of them if you happen to come across the Blood Springs along the way_.' Hadrian requested, ignoring his amber-eyed retainer's negativity.

Hadrian has faith in the seven retainers to make it out of the Spider's nest safely. He had seen them in action many times in the past, and it was not as if he wouldn't be providing them support.

'_Is it for your research?_' Scáthach asked, joining the conversation.

'_Yes_. _It can be vital for my own research_.' Hadrian added.

'_Then, we will keep a lookout for them_.' Scáthach stated with a confident nod.

'_Thank you_. _That would be much appreciated_.' Hadrian thanked her with genuine gratitude.

The crimson eyed woman may have sounded nonchalant, but it touched Hadrian that she didn't even hesitated in accepting his request, despite the threat that they might face.

His other retainers also voiced their own acceptance to his request after she did. Even Yan himself agreed, despite sounding the most hesitant.

'_Will we be expecting for these… spawns to be as formidable as their sire?_' Rider inquired.

'_Good question. Hmm… based on the recordings and stats, I would say that they are formidable, but most likely not as much as the Spider. They are probably on par with the stronger Dead Apostles, but this is simply a guess on my part. It won't hurt to be cautious when it comes to testing out their strength if you do happen to encounter them_.' Hadrian cautioned them.

'_Stronger Dead Apostles… great_… _The fuck did I get myself into?_' Yan asked himself in resignation.

'_Yan, you can always return here if you really don't want to go through with this_.' Hadrian offered, fully aware of his retainer's reluctance.

'_Yeah, you're just going to have to come back the way you got there, bud_.' Kieran commented with an evil smirk.

'_I'll help if you want_.' Arash chimed in, well aware of the glare sent at his way.

'_Me too!_' Astolfo pitched in cheerfully.

Recalling his embarrassing state earlier, Yan's right brow twitched as he frowned in annoyance.

'_Hell to the no! I might as well go all the way since I'm already here_.' The long-haired retainer denied vehemently.

Sighing at their antics, Hadrian spoke again before their 'talk' could go on any longer.

'_Okay, enough dawdling. The intruders might not be on the move, but it would be best not to keep them waiting anymore. In the meantime, I'll be watching from here and provide some support if there is a need. Now, please venture into the island, and be careful_.'

With that said, the seven retainers began to venture into the strange isle that is the home to one of the most dangerous beings in the world.

...

* * *

…

The Servant of the Mount, Rider, also known as '**Medusa**' by a certain few, was on a mission.

Her Master, Hadrian Mathius von Schweinorg, had vocally requested of them to search and gather a number of 'Blood Beads' that can only be found on the Spider's nest, and Rider and the others are all equally determined to fulfill the completion of said request to the best of their abilities.

Their Master was rarely the type to request something of them, preferring to give more than to receive, which was a trait that she and the rest of her fellow retainers found admirable about him.

Her Master had went through difficult times. This, she already knew via the dream cycle. She had seen how he had become the great person he was today. She had witnessed his innocence, how he suffered from the loss of his beloved father, his determination to volunteer and participate in the Holy Grail War despite his young age, and the actions he had taken to survive the brutal event.

Unlike most people, Medusa did not mind the choices that her Master had taken in the past, some of which can be considered sinful to those who are righteous and naïve.

She would be a hypocrite if she did so, seeing as her own past was far more tainted than her Master's. The insurmountable amount of blood that she had spilled during the time she had been alive can probably fill a small portion of the ocean in its entirety. And yet, her Master was willing to accept her true nature wholeheartedly, despite her own protests.

As she followed behind Yan and Astolfo, Medusa chuckled softly as her thoughts turned to a certain bright cyan-eyed magus.

'_How things have changed_…' She mused, recalling her Master with fondness.

Medusa had been summoned quite a number of times before in the past, most of which always seemed to revolve around the Holy Grail wars. Her previous Masters were less than ideal people that she would rather rip apart or stab with her scythe, if not for the Command Seals and her own sense of honor that prevented her so.

She had long accepted that those who would summon her will be distrustful and apathetic to her well-being, treating her like a monster, one that they can use as a weapon against their foes to achieve their own goals. It happened often enough that Medusa had already lost count of how many times it had occurred.

There were some instances that she was even used as a plaything to vent their frustrations on. But Medusa didn't mind, despite of what she went through.

Medusa had already acknowledged that she was a monster, one who destroyed and devoured everything in her sight, even those she cared about. To be treated in such a manner did not bothered her, considering as she felt that she deserved to be treated as such. To her, it was simply how the world was getting back at her for everything that she had done in her past life.

Granted, she had the gods of her time to be blamed for what she had become then. Most of the deities in the Greek pantheon, in particular.

But, she had also spilled too much blood, including that of the innocent, so much that she had lost her mind and even hurt the ones she cared about. Medusa can admit to herself that she had lost sight of her path, right after she had lost her two sisters and her descent to madness began from there.

As the story goes, the fearsome Gorgon was killed by an upstart demi-god that was better left off unnamed.

Medusa felt her eyebrow twitched, a subtle sign of her annoyance.

The irritation faded away as soon as her thoughts returned to her Master though, letting it become nothing more than a fly against a wall.

Everything in her life had changed when the world presented her contract to a strange young man.

Whereas many would be disgusted by her true nature, Hadrian simply took in the fact that she was an infamous monster of Greek legend with nothing but a calm and relaxed disposition. There was no explosive reaction from him, nothing but an 'hmm' noise and a nod of acceptance, which often amused her to no end every time she remembered it.

Sometimes, it almost made her think that he had been prepared and just didn't react to her true identity all that much. That the novelty of discovering her true name had already worn off and he wasn't susceptible to being caught off guard by it anymore. That he had already discovered it via the dream cycle, just as she did regarding his past.

But, after two months with her Master prior to her summoning, Medusa eventually realized that being calm and undaunted was merely in his nature.

It was one of the things that she came to love about him as more time passed.

Yes, as unbelievable as it sounded, she, the infamous Gorgon, Medusa, had fallen for a strange mortal, who have accepted all of herself without batting an eye. This, she realized several weeks after she had told her Master about her true identity and her past. It had been a marvel experience for her to discover that she would actually fall in love for a mortal, much less someone very young.

Never did Medusa thought that she would experience falling in love after her life as mortal, then a monster of legend later on, had ended.

It was as if the world had given her a break from the usual routine by giving her contract to her beautiful master, which she was always thankful for.

She never thought that she would even be capable of feeling such a luxurious emotion, not after what she had become and what she had done. And yet, here she was, walking into a highly dangerous territory of a powerful entity for the sake of fulfilling the request of her lovely and benevolent master.

Admittedly, Arturia might be in lead to win their Master's affections since it had taken her quite a while to gather the courage to pursue him considering her past life, with Scáthach catching up behind her, despite the crimson-eyed woman's subtle denials, but Medusa was more than content to wait for her Master to notice her feelings for him.

Even if takes her centuries to do so, Medusa will wait for him for as long as she was by his side.

Her future might be uncertain, given the current situation, but for now, being his servant was enough for her.

It had taken her centuries to get where she was now, through all the suffering and pain at the hands of the gods, through the greedy and malevolent Masters she had served under, Medusa does not mind waiting for her young, beautiful master to notice her intimate feelings for him, even if it takes her many centuries.

'_This, I swear_…' Medusa promised, determination filling her heart.

Her internal musings were interrupted as she heard the two male retainers walking ahead of her speak.

"Pinky, remember, keep a look out for any white trees in the area! Don't go wandering in your head this time!" Yan called out.

"I'm looking, I'm looking! These crystals isn't making things easier for me, ya know!" Astolfo pouted, turning his head this way and that.

"Hm, can't say I blame ya. Even I find it hard to believe that these were actually trees." Yan commented with furrowed brows.

"The power of an Ultimate One is unique, something to never be underestimated." Medusa said quietly.

Simultaneously, Astolfo and Yan turned to look at her over their respective shoulders, the surprise clear on their faces.

"That much is true." Yan agreed, then a small grin appeared on his face. "And it seems like you're back from whatever it is that you're thinking. Would you care to share with the team?"

Without pausing from her walk, Medusa stared at Yan for a few moments before she made a decision.

"I was thinking about Master." She finally settled, ignoring their gazes as she kept vigilance of any signs of Blood Springs in the area.

"Uh-huh." Astolfo nodded, encouraging the statuesque female to speak more.

"Have you two noticed his behavior lately?" Medusa asked, almost nonchalantly.

"Course we did." Yan scoffed lightly, as if affronted by the idea of not noticing their master's recent behavior.

"We do?" Astolfo asked, blinking in surprise as he turned to Yan, who sent him a blank look. "What? I'm not seeing anything new with Master. He looks fine to me."

"Ignore this doofus over here." Yan shook his head at the pink-haired retainer's cluelessness before he turned to Medusa, who was looking at him in turn. "Since you brought the subject up, what do you think of Master's behavior? Arturia and the others look pretty worried about him."

"Rightfully so. Master's health, physical and mentally, comes first before everything. Everything else is to be set aside, but this is merely my opinion." Medusa answered.

"That ain't an answer, you know." Yan pointed out. "What do you really think, lady? You going do something about it. That's what I wanna know."

Unsurprisingly, Yan received a glare that would have intimidated anyone who does not knew the lavender haired servant well. As for him, he merely shrugged it off, well-aware that he was stepping on the woman's personal space when it comes to subjects related to their Master.

'_Her, and every female around him. Except his mother, of course_…' Yan mused, recalling the women who knows Hadrian.

It was most likely that Yan was more mindful of his words than a certain retainer (Kieran) that Medusa only gave him a glare instead of gifting him a fatal strike to the nuts (courtesy of her scythe) for bluntly asking her feelings concerning their young master's mental health. In addition, Yan noticed that most females who knows his Master were quite protective of him.

Not that Yan was against it or anything. He was simply making an observation, considering as he had never seen someone being held in high regard by many females before, even in his past life.

The beautiful statuesque woman became silent at his retort, making Yan feel a bit nervous at how her pale lavender eyes bore into his own with an intense pressure.

Yan didn't dare show his nervousness on his face though. He may not be the strongest in their group, but he has his damn pride as a man to take things with a calm disposition, even if it was Rider who was glaring at him somewhat. It'd be a different story if he was someone else, or a lesser man.

Despite his past life and experience, Yan had never encountered women as complicated as the ones in his Master's employment, particularly the one in front of him. He already knew about Arturia's true identity, but the one in front of him still remains a mystery to him. He and his fellow male retainers have their own suspicions, but the only one who truly knows was their Master, Hadrian.

The Throne of Heroes has its interesting mix of characters, but Yan had never heard of a Heroic Spirit that fits her description.

Glossy long purple hair, a pair of pale lavender eyes with pupils of peculiar shape, and an appearance that can be considered as men's ideal. Not only that, what was most interesting about her was the beautiful statuesque woman's personality. Or rather, some aspects of it, to be more specific.

Rider was silent, calm, collected, protective and faithful, never hesitating to shield their Master from harm. She was not openly talkative and prefers to analyze people and their actions. She was very logical and does not act out of anger or instinct. And yet, despite her self-possessed nature, the alluring beauty can be insecure sometimes and prone to bouts of envy and jealousy.

Yan had seen it before, especially whenever their Master was in close proximity with a certain blonde swordswoman.

There was also an unexpected side to her, such as her sultry side that seemed to only appear whenever she was alone with their Master, which Yan found to be quite surprising. He had always thought that women with a quiet personality like Rider would be more introverted and conservative, not bold and aggressively seductive.

'_I guess the silent types are really the ones you need to watch out for_…' Yan grunted in his mind, worried for his young master's chastity.

Don't get him wrong, he approves of the three women's affection for the young man. Heavens knows his Master needed some beautiful distractions to loosen up and enjoy life more.

But, at the same time, his Master was being pursued by three beautiful and powerful women, which most men would even consider a deadly combination. To Yan, women are already complicated and complex creatures, but the more troublesome ones were those who are beautiful and powerful, and know that they have both.

And to his Master's double-edged luck, he had summoned and managed to attract three of them, much to Yan's pity and amusement.

Yan snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the purple-haired spoke again.

"No, I won't." Rider calmly stated, continuing when she saw the questioning look in his eyes. "Do not misunderstand. I care for Master's health, physically and mentally. And I would do anything in my power to keep him happy and safe. But if he's changing, then I'm not worried for him… because I know that he's strong enough to see through his own behavior and correct it."

"Oh ho? So, you're not going to do anything about it then?" Yan asked, one black brow raised.

"At the moment? No. If he's unable to return to his previous state, then perhaps I might. Frankly speaking, I'm not worried since his current behavior might be his method to deal with the burdens that he is shouldering right now. The cases in his hands are anything but simple. It would take more than a calm and collected persona to deal with such things. I'm more surprised that Master is handling these problems quite well at his age. But, given his experience in the Holy Grail war, it's not surprising that that side of himself would return in this manner." Medusa answered thoughtfully.

Yan blinked, a bit surprised by her insight. Then, a thoughtful expression took over his face.

"Hmm… you're right." Yan agreed, albeit hesitantly. "Maybe we're just being overly concerned about him. Maybe we should just give him a break? The cases he's dealing with aren't simple murders. I know I wouldn't be all gung-ho and overly positive when I'm dealing with shit like that. He's doing his best, after all."

"Yes, and simply providing him our support might be our best option here." Medusa nodded. "Knowing Master, he does not need for us to be hovering around him like mother hens. Just supporting him as per usual is probably enough for him. I'd give it a few weeks, Master will most likely return to his previous behavior."

"And if all else fails, I'm sure you girls can find a way to get him out of his funk." Yan chuckled at his own suggestion.

Medusa raised an eyebrow before she asked quietly. "…And what might that be?"

"Oh, I don't know… seduce him till he looks like a stuttering virgin like he is." Yan grinned cheekily.

The long-haired retainer laughed when he noticed the look of contemplation on Medusa's countenance, making him feel somewhat sympathetic for his Master's peace of mind.

Yan and some of the male retainers in their group had been subjected to her sultry side before, but it was more during in combat and it came a healthy dose of malevolence mixed in it, not the genuine display of affection she only shows to their Master. Once again, Yan told himself that such good things also come with consequences, which in this case were the troublesome yet gorgeous women.

'_Master's days in the near future is going to be rough, for sure_…' Yan shook his head in amusement.

The two retainers came back to reality when they heard a familiar voice shouted at them from somewhere nearby.

"Heeeey, guys! Better come here quick! I think I found something!" Astolfo called out excitedly.

Yan and Medusa glanced at one another before they quickly went to where they sensed the pink-haired servant was located. The two of them did not ran, more like walked at a faster pace since they didn't sense any immediate urgency in Astolfo's voice that would giveaway that he was in danger.

On their way there, the two retainers couldn't help but feel wary.

Before, when they had seen the island, all of the retainers sensed a great danger looming within the isle, causing them to be on guard, which was understandable given that an Ultimate One was living in said island. Now that they were venturing into the Spider's territory, they all feel uneasy as the small hairs on their bodies stood up the longer they walk around.

The clouds and the mildly thick fog around them was not making things any easier on them.

Curiously enough, as they got closer to where they sensed their fellow retainer, the fog was slowly dissipating, allowing them to see their surroundings better.

"Alright, pinky, what did yo u –" Yan trailed off as his eyes widen at the sight before him.

Beside him, Yan idly noticed that Medusa was a lot quieter than usual as she took in the scene as well.

After the two retainers went around a bunch of crystals, they arrived to a small clearing devoid of any signs of life with the sole exception to the large, dense and tall tree that was rooted in the center. It was pure white and has leaves with the color of blood. The 'Blood Spring' tree looked ethereal, glowing with a certain power as little bright blue lights fly around it.

Hanging from its branches like fruits were the tear-shaped objects that their Master has tasked for them to retrieve, '**Blood Beads**'.

Yan found it hard to believe that such a majestic-looking tree was something that an Ultimate One had made, given from what he had seen of its appearance. He was expecting a tree with a grotesque appearance like in some alien movies, but he was glad to be wrong.

'_I guess you can't judge a book by its cover_…' Yan mused.

Together, Yan and Medusa made their way over to where Astolfo was located, who was standing several feet away from the white tree.

"Heeeey, guys! Over here!" Astolfo called, waving at them with a wide smile.

"Geez, calm down, ya idiot. No need to yell like that!" Yan berated, frowning.

"He's right. Calm yourself, Astolfo. Keep in mind that we are on a dangerous territory." Medusa cautioned, taking care not to speak out loud.

"Oh right! Sorry, hehe!" Astolfo apologized, looking sheepish as he rubbed the back of his head.

Yan shook his head with a sigh, then turned his gaze upwards as he looked at the tall white tree.

"So… this is the one then?" Yan asked, pondering aloud.

Suddenly, the three retainers felt the mental link opened as their Master's voice resonated in their heads.

'_Oh, you've found one. Good work, you three_.' Hadrian complimented. '_Now, it'd be better if you get to work on harvesting the Blood Beads fast. The intruders has not been on the move since then, but it's better to finish this as soon as possible_. _Who knows what they might be up to if they wait for too long_.'

'_Sure, we'll get to that, but where are we going to put these things in? We don't have bags and I doubt our pocket would be able to fit them all_.' Yan stated as he plucked one Blood Bead.

'_Hmm… check your pockets, Yan. I send something for you to use there._' Hadrian suggested.

Yan did as instructed and he pulled out a medium-sized black sack neatly folded from his once empty pocket.

'_You can use that to hold the Blood Beads. Now, please get to work, and do it quick. The others have already made first contact with some of the intruders_.'

With that said, their master's voice cut off and the link closed once more, causing the three retainers to look at one another in bewilderment.

"Shit!" Yan cursed before he moved.

"Where are we going to keep these things safe if we're all jumping into a fight?!" Astolfo asked in a panic as he helped Yan harvest the Blood Beads.

"Hell if I know! Just keep plucking, pinky!" Yan yelled back.

"I suppose we'll just have to leave it in someplace else to keep it safe." Medusa sighed as she helped the two, albeit on a more average pace.

Yan, Astolfo and Medusa started to harvest the Blood Beads as fast as they could before they quickly set off to where their target was located, dashing through the tall tree-shaped crystals to the best of their abilities after they had started hearing the familiar sounds of metals clashing and the occasional rumbles of the ground pervade the once quiet, eerie island.

The battle to capture the intruders had begun, and the three retainers would prefer not to be late for the party by being the last ones to join in.

…

* * *

**Omake (II) – That Feeling…**

* * *

…

Back at the headquarters, Hadrian felt a shiver run down his spine.

He lifted his left hand and placed it at the back of his neck, frowning slightly when he realized that the small hairs on his neck were standing up.

'_Wonder what that is about_…'

Kieran, who was standing beside him, noticed his movements and raised a curious brow.

"Boss, you aight?' The amber-eyed retainer asked.

"Hmm? Ah, yes… I'm fine." Hadrian assured him. "Just felt a shiver, is all."

Kieran stared at him for a few moments, his expression blank before a small grin appeared on his face as a thought came to mind.

"Maybe somebody's thinking 'bout you." Kieran suggested in a teasing tone.

Now it was Hadrian's turn to look at him blankly.

"And pray tell, who might that be?" Hadrian inquired, catching Dia's attention, who was standing to his right.

To his mild surprise, Kieran didn't answer his question and merely shrugged his shoulders.

"Eh, who knows? You got lots of admirers, after all." The amber-eyed servant answered nonchalantly.

With that said, the amber-eyed turned his attention back to the monitors where the progression of the others was being watched over and recorded.

Hadrian and Dia turned to look at one another, what with the former sending the latter a questioning gaze. The Servant of the Lance merely shook his head silently, as if to say that he has no idea what has gotten over with his fellow retainer, which the young heir accepted quietly, much to his disappointment.

Still, Hadrian wondered why he felt a sudden wave of nervousness come from Kieran, despite his back facing him.

After a few moments of staring closely at the retainer's form, Hadrian turned his attention back to the monitors since there was nothing else to be done, an action copied by Dia soon after.

Unbeknownst to the two, Kieran let out a quiet sigh of relief when he felt his Master's inquisitive stare turn away from him.

His hands twitched when he felt his back sweat, trying to resist the urge to make any movements to wipe some that fell down his temple. Instead, he crossed his arms over his chest as he looked at the monitors, ignoring his anxiety in favor of focusing on watching his fellow retainers instead.

'_Hooo, almost slipped there! Felt like that question was a death trap just now. I really need to be careful with what I say. Who knows what those witches will do to me if they find out that I almost blurted out their secret. Hopefully, Dia will shut his mouth. I'll kill him if this gets back to those three somehow!_' Kieran swore.

It was just another day in the dangerous life of the former rogue servant, Kieran.

…

* * *

**Author's Note**

* * *

…

**Well, that's another chapter down.**

**I had intended to make this chapter longer, but when I saw that it was already at 13k words, I've decided to cut it off from there.**

**Next up is going to be the battle between the servants and the intruders. As I'm sure you've all guessed, the story is following some elements in the canon of Fate/Strange Fake.**

**Remember what I said about this story is going to be a mixed of elements in canon? This is what I'm talking about.**

**What can I say, I like to write a story with different elements in it. Some are going to be familiar, while others are not. I did this with Waver Velvet when I moved his character up into the present timeline of Fate/Extra verse in this story instead of leaving him in the past, and among other things.**

**Also, yes, the 'Blood Beads' and the 'Blood Springs' are not from the Fate universe. It's actually from a different franchise called 'Code Vein'. Great game, rich with lore and stuff. Highly recommend it for those who are a fan of JRPG and the God Eater games.**

**As for the reason why I included it, there's a reason for that, not really that important, but it will have some effect in the future of the story. I will admit, seeing the gameplay of Code Vein has influenced me to include the idea, so I thought to myself 'why not?'. It'll make things interesting, at least.**

**Now, as for those who are wondering why Arash isn't dead yet, that's because of the little feather inside the vial. The liquid resin is imbued with the magical energy of a Magician to keep the item fresh and irreplaceable. I wonder if you guys can guess what it is, but if you want, I'll give you guys a hint: it's not an item present in the canon of any Fate series.**

**I'm sure readers who had played certain fantasy games before know what it is, so I'll leave it at that! ;)**

**Anyways, that's all for now. Hope you guys are alright. It's tough outside of our homes right now, so I wish you all good health and safety. And much thanks again for the support, guys. I appreciate it, and hope you guys like the extra I included above. It's my gift to you, guys, for your continued support.**

**I'll see you guys again in the next chapter. Take care, and adieu for now! :)**

…

* * *

**Q & A**

* * *

…

**Dxhologram:**

**A** – Sorry to hear that, my friend. Honestly though, everyone has it rough lately because of it. Hopefully, this crisis would blow over soon. Stay safe, stay healthy, my friend.

And yes, Artuia is pretty worried about Hadrian's mental health. She doesn't feel bad about him killing Twice in front of her or torturing him, considering that she had done worse in her past life. Rather, she's more worried about Hadrian returning to the pragmatic and dark persona he had donned during the Holy Grail War.

What I'm trying to show in the recent chapters lately is Hadrian's return to the fold to his other persona. The same one he often buries, unless there was a need for him to use it. And due to the nature of the murder cases, it's bound thing for that dark persona of his to make an appearance again. So, Arturia's worry is justified in this case.

More importantly though, she just doesn't want Hadrian to become like Twice in the future.

Also, yes, that guy. He's the dude. And a Fate/Strange Fake going on? Maybe. Maybe not. I suppose we'll see in the future. Stay tune, my friend ;)

…

**Doortolight47:**

**A** – Yes, that dude did it. With no remorse too, the crazy bastard.

And yes again, it's going to have some Fate/Strange Fake elements to it. I think it's going to be one crazy ride.

…

**Shiroyasha Rises:**

**A** – No, but that crazy bastard is going to be in the story too. Can't forget about him.

…

**Journey to the End:**

**A** – Well, Arturia and the others are more worried about Hadrian's return to his dark persona from the Holy Grail war.

They are not worried about him killing people, seeing as they have done their own fair share of that back then. It would be hypocritical of them if they judge him because of that. Besides, the only ones that died by Hadrian's hand were the most brutal and unremorseful, like Twice, Julius, and the others. The only exceptions were Alice and, reluctantly, Shinji Matou (of Fate/Extra), but that's different.

They are more worried that his dark persona from post-grail war might stay longer than necessary. That it might affect him even after the cases are over.

Physical scars heal eventually, but the ones in the mind takes longer.

As for what the others think, I've already got the others views on it here and some bits in the previous chapters. The others are coming up, so stay tune.

…

**fruitspunchsamurai-987:**

**A** – Oh, damn it… Siduri, why do the shitty devs do you like that? Why? T_T

You know, I've been hoping that the devs might change her fate in the anime. She doesn't deserve to have that kind of ending, man. She's actually one of those characters that I really like, despite her having no powers to really contribute to Ritsuka and the others. That woman can make Ishtar heel just by her words alone, despite being human, how is that not admirable?

Just by being present in the room, she made Ishtar act less like… well, Ishtar like. I was hoping that the devs would let her survive with the others, but seems like a hopeless dream.

Also, hope you're staying safe, man. Too much shit is going on outside our homes these days.

…

**Gen2324:**

**A** – No, but Jester Karture is going to be making an appearance in the story in the future. Can't forget about that crazy bastard.

…

**Kensei-1085:**

**A** – A foreign soul. Alien even, since he wasn't originally from the Fate verse.

Hadrian's soul had been dropped near the center of the Root by the Astrals, so he was pretty much given a free pass to enter and be recycled. Alaya and Gaia were not aware, so they didn't know that Hadrian came from a different world. They were too busy making their moves against one another to pay attention to him.

It was only when Hadrian entered the Holy Grail war did they start to pay him their attention.

And yes, Gaia would have tried to get Hadrian killed by sending some of her agents after him if not for his decision to restore the world into its healthy state.

Butterfly effect and all that :)

…

**sugoijack9:**

**A** – Everything is bad news if there's an Ultimate One involved, actually XD

Not only that, everyone is literally fucked if that thing does wake up. Not just Hadrian and the others, but the whole world for that matter.

…

**The Loud Person:**

**A** – Like I said to Kensei, Hadrian's soul is foreign. An abnormality among the others.

Which, of course, made Gaia and Alaya very interested in him. Unfortunate, but not entirely unexpected.

And yes, Jester Karture is going to make an appearance.

…

**Reeds:**

**A** – Hadrian's thoughts on the Nasuverse? It would be neutral.

He has seen deities before in his past life (the Astrals), so his views towards the ones in his world is more welcoming (except for Ifrit, of course). The ones in the Nasuverse however, he's pretty much neutral, which is quite normal in my opinion. His knowledge of the ones in the Nasuverse is pretty much like any other magi.

He believes the deities exist, a belief that was only reinforced after he met and made a contract with Scáthach, but he doesn't think much of them either. He's wary of them, and he cannot say that he hates them since he has yet to meet one to make an actual opinion about them. He's not the type to judge one and apply the same opinion upon the rest of its kind.

Dislike and wary would be the more appropriate words to describe his views upon the deities of Nasuverse, including Gaia and Alaya too. The two powerhouses are not exactly endearing with their own methods to deal with their own fair share of troubles, something that Hadrian would never dare to voice out loud.

He's concerned about the state of the World, but because it relates to the safety of his family and friends. The Counter Force makes him wary, and he finds the Age of the Gods morbidly fascinating.

I think I'm going to write about his views regarding these topics later on in the story, so stay tune.

…

**hataraku:**

**A** – He's neutral, wary and dislikes most of them.

He finds the history regarding the gods in Nasuverse as a morbidly fascinating subject. As for the rest, we'll get to his views about those subjects later on, so stay tune, my friend. That also includes his thoughts about Sefar and Velber, which is going to be a hardly forgettable topic in this story.

Velber is the main antagonist in Fate/Extra, after all, so he won't ever be forgotten.

…

**Urek:**

**A** – Caught a glimpse of it, but I don't know what the Lost Belt 4 was mostly about yet. What I do know is that the theme seems to be revolving around the Greek myth.

Saw the characters, and yeah, they look pretty crazy. Their designs is like… wacked, for lack of a better word. I wonder what the devs were thinking for going along that route.

Oh, and just for confirmation, is Orion the guy with the heavy guns? The overly muscled dude? Cause if he is, then that crapz is even more whack in my opinion. Messed up! XD


	14. Chapter 13 — Dangerous Encounters

**Greetings, and welcome to another chapter of TPoM! :)**

**Sorry for the delay, got stuff to take care of in RL since society is slowly coming back on track.**

**Anyways, without further ado, enjoy the new chapter worth of almost 18k words.**

…

* * *

…

"Speaking"

'_Thoughts_'

"**Spells**" or "**Abilities**"

*** Sound Effects ***

**[ Moon Cell ]**

…

* * *

**Chapter 13 – Dangerous Encounters**

* * *

…

In an unknown location, there was a young woman sitting in one of the chairs of a vast theater by her lonesome.

The young woman was completely unbothered how she was the only one inside the elegant opera-like theater, despite the eerie darkness that lurked in every corner of the area. The theater itself was showing a series of scenes via a magic device in real-time. It was no different from watching a movie set in real-time events, except the show was better than any other ones in her opinion.

"To think that you would actually be related to that man…" She muttered under her breath. "The world truly is small, despite its vast size."

She was so preoccupied with her entertainment, she almost missed the arrival of a certain man.

Said man has short light blonde hair that was slicked back, and has well-regulated features that wore a calm yet severe expression. He has a pale complexion that was not usually seen before, almost as if he was pale as death itself. He has the appearance of a man in his 30's or 40's, but with a somewhat healthy physique, which hinted that he was a capable fighter.

He wore a black suit with a white dress shirt, black formal slacks, and dress shoes. Hanging around his neck was a long gray scarf and fell to his front, while a pair of black gloves covered his hands.

While the severity of his expression was eye-catching, it was his eyes that stood out the most about him. Unlike a normal person's eyes, his own was different. His irises glowed an unnerving shade of yellow and his sclera was as black as the night. What was even more disconcerting was the lack of humanity in them, as if every emotion in him had disappeared with one exception, the urge to kill.

Most people would be fearful to be in his presence, but the young woman remained unbothered.

"Thought you'd never come…" She paused, giving the newcomer a side glance. "… Monsieur **Cordelion**."

Bazdilot Cordelion stood beside where the young woman was seated, merely giving the latter a glance before turning to the large screen in front of them with a curious glint in his amber eyes. The man (if he can be still be called as such) slipped his hands inside his pockets as he watched the 'show' with an observant expression.

"I changed my mind. This seems to be more interesting." Bazdilot responded, nodding to the 'show' they were watching.

The young woman smiled at his answer, turning her fascinated gaze back to the screen as she continued.

"Right you are." She grinned with amusement. "Now, if you're here, I take it that you're done with your tasks for the day?"

"Yes." He said with a slight nod.

"And how's the 'project' doing, monsieur Cordelion?" She asked idly.

"It's going along well enough." Bazdilot gave the young woman a glance, who happened to be looking at him in return. "The materials for our preparation is still insufficient, but it's getting there. It'll only be a matter of time before it is ready to ascend to the next phase."

"I see." She said, though the smile on her lips hinted that she was pleased by the news. "While I'm glad to hear it is going along nicely, the lack of materials is a bit worrisome. If the need to make up for the insufficient items arises, do not hesitate to double the harvest for the project's materials. There's plenty of resources we can get it from, after all."

"Very well. Should I rush the harvest ahead of schedule then?" He inquired.

The young woman was quiet for a few moments, her smile morphing into an unpleasant manner as she watched the events on the screen with fervor before she answered his question.

"No." She finally said with a hum. "Although it is imperative for the project to be complete soon, I feel that we have more time in our hands to do everything that needs to be done. There's no need for us to rush. Not when the main star of this show has yet to step into the stage."

Aware of what she meant but not knowing what to say about her somewhat vague statement, Bazdilot had decided to change the topic.

"I see that that snake is not around here." He commented with his usual severe expression.

Noticing the silent inquiry in his words, the young woman indulge his curiosity.

"Yes, I have sent him along with the others." She said in a sing-song voice, a feat that would unnerved most people.

"Why?" He asked with a raised brow.

"To send my greetings and the invitation, of course." She answered with a wide grin that showed too many teeth. "He was also curious about ma petit obsession, so I thought 'why not'?"

"I see…" He said in a monotone voice.

"Granted, his curiosity regarding the Spider can be a concern, but since he promised me to behave, I'm sure it'll go smoothly." She said with a grin.

In response, Bazdilot merely gave a slight grunt, disbelieving that the man he consider a snake would know how to 'behave', but was uninterested in voicing out his reservations, let alone caring about it. Instead, he changed his attention to a different subject, one that he was more curious about.

"So… he's the one?" He asked.

"Why yes, em effet, monsieur Cordelion." She said brightly, her pearly whites in display as she grinned. It would have been a normal scene if not for her dreadful appearance and her next words. "He's quite a fascinating subject for me, one that I would certainly not mind to pick apart and prod to my heart's content." She gave a forlorn sigh, one hand on face. "If only he wasn't so protected…"

Then, she tilted her head as an idea came into mind and she gave the man standing next to her a coy stare.

"Why do you ask, monsieur Cordelion? Are you perhaps… jaloux?" She asked with a mischievous grin. "If you wish, just say the word and I'll gladly give you some of my attention to warm your harsh, cold nights. Just be aware, I intend to be utterly faithful to him, so I'm afraid that you will only ever be a passing interest for me."

To his credit, Bazdilot didn't even took her bait that would have made many people shirked in disgust and discomfort, much less blink at her behavior. Instead, he stared at the screen and spoke in his usual unperturbed tone, speaking as if he never heard her in the first place, which caused the eerie young woman to pout when he ignored her teasing.

"What makes him special?" Bazdilot asked, gesturing to the person being displayed on the screen. "Other than what is obvious, I don't see how he is crucial to our project."

"Ah, but first, tell me… what do you think of him?" She answered his question with her own, staring at him from the corner of her eyes.

Bazdilot arched a brow, but paused as he thought about her question.

"He's quite talented, despite being young. I heard from that fool, and yourself, that the boy was a survivor of the grail war. There's also this… talk that the boy received the grand rank of '**Crown**' by the higher-ups of the Clock Tower, something that the people in the Mage's Association were only happy to agree with. Combined with his power and heritage, he would make for an ideal harvest. Is that why you have him in your sights? Other than wanting to cut him open and add to your collection?"

For a few moments, the eerie young woman was silent, humming as she mused over his response and question.

"Hmm… oui and non." She finally said. "You are correct to say that he is an ideal ingredient. The most tempting one, if I do say so myself." She grinned at the last part before it disappeared as she went on. "But non, I've decided that he has a far more important role to play in our project."

"And what is that?" Bazdilot inquired.

"Patience, monsieur Cordelion." She giggled, a vile sound that can make a person's skin crawl. It was light in tone, yet held an ominous vibe. "You shall see soon enough. In time."

With nothing more to discuss, the two individuals turned their undivided attention to the wide screen where the actions of a certain blonde haired young man was being shown, aware yet ignorant of the loud blood-curling screams and suffering of the kidnapped victims that were located somewhere nearby the opera-like theater.

…

* * *

…

[… **The Watch – Underwater Headquarters** …]

Hadrian frowned as he watched his retainers' ventures through the monitor.

It had been fifteen minutes or so since his Arash and the others had ventured into the Spider's nest, and it was admittedly one of the most nerve-wrecking things that he had experienced. The worst he had the displeasure of knowing was that one time when he discovered about the existence of the Far Side of the Moon, of which had some nasty things that lurked within in the forms of data errors.

Although, watching his retainers venture the strange island through a monitor was still one of the worst experience for him, and it took him to restrain himself from accompanying them.

However, as much as it pained him, Hadrian had to stay behind to protect the base and the members of the Watch.

Fortunately, Arash and the others seemed to handling themselves well against the intruders. Their training within the Arena had paid off as they all worked together to corner their opponents, attacking their enemies with the combination of great team work and strategies that they often use in practice runs in the Moon Cell's dungeons, much to his mild surprise.

dHis retainers' combat prowess and well-balanced team work were so smooth and executed with ease, it made Hadrian feel a bit nervous at the thought of training with them in the future. His retainers have a habit of proposing practice battles with a one-vs-two or more to increase his own battle experience.

Speaking of Arash, Hadrian was glad to see that the magical trinket he gave to the servant of the bow had worked on earth.

The small vial attached to the bracelet contained a single feather that was called the '**Phoenix Down**', one of the things that Hadrian brought over from his old world via the Armiger Arsenal.

In his past life, Hadrian had travelled the world of Eos in search for the tombs of the previous kings and queens of Lucis. He had done so in order to collect the thirteen royal weapons of the past Lucian rulers as it was dictated by tradition, and along the way, he came across a large tuft of strange feathers that belonged to a divine entity named '**Suzaku**'.

According to Gentiana, the High Messenger of the Gods, Suzaku was an entity whose power was on par with the seven astral deities. She had even gone as far as to say that if Suzaku wanted to, he could defeat the estranged astral, Ifrit, in a straight-up battle, despite the both of them sharing the same fire element.

Moreover, Gentiana explained to Hadrian that Suzaku had approved of his character then, which was surprising given the divine entity's personality.

Apparently, Suzaku had somewhat of a reserve personality, preferring to have less contact with the dealings of mortals than most of its kind. It was only when Hadrian came along that the divine entity became interested and had become more active with his involvement with humans. Although, the great phoenix still preferred the subtle approach instead of revealing himself outright.

Said 'subtle approach' came in the form of tufts of phoenix feathers, which Hadrian had gathered a lot in his travels from his first life and kept in the Armiger Arsenal for safe-keeping.

It was only recently that he made use of the Phoenix Downs in his special inventory again when he discovered the negative effect in Arash's Noble Phantasm.

He had been worried that the magical item would only work within the premises of the Moon Cell, but he was relieved to see that the Phoenix Down still works, despite being in a different world with a different set of rules in magic than it normally was in his original world. If not for the Phoenix Down, Arash would have been lost to him before their contract even lasted for a month.

The servant of the bow has the tendency to accidentally use his Noble Phantasm sometimes when the fight goes hard, which would cause his death in effect, something that Hadrian would prefer to prevent. Arash might not have minded dying for a good cause, such as protecting his master, but Hadrian considered him as a friend whose loyalty and character deserved to be rewarded.

Needless to say, the reward was the Phoenix Down that was imbued with the power of True Magic to maintain its effect in an everlasting manner, and Arash was more than happy to receive it.

'_Thank goodness for the Phoenix Down_…' Hadrian mused with a sigh.

As for his main reason for staying behind, it was due to a certain sensation that he was being watched once again.

It started as a niggling ominous feeling, as if red ants crawled up his skin, and that was when he knew someone was watching him. Ironically enough, the Moon Cell was helpful to notify him about the matter earlier, something that he appreciated. He had his suspicions that someone was keeping tabs on him, but it was nice to have it confirmed instead of him wondering about it whenever it happens.

Considering that it was second time, Hadrian had no doubts that whoever is watching was involved with the intruders. The timing of the intruders' arrival was too coincidental not to be viewed as such.

Regardless of what he feels about the matter, the objective still remained the same for him, but the downside was that his movements had become a bit restricted once again. Having someone watch his every move was frustrating on his part, more so as it meant that Hadrian was unable to use most of his abilities and spells, especially the kind that was designed solely for destruction.

Hadrian had been intending to use some of his unique spells to assist his retainers from far away, but with someone watching him, he was having second thoughts.

Don't get him wrong, he still wanted to help his retainers, but he also didn't want his stalker to know what kind of tricks he has under his sleeve. Hadrian would rather keep his stalker in the dark of what he can do for as long as possible, not when he still had yet to discover his enemies' identities.

'_Well, there's two, but I have this feeling that there might be more_…' Bright cyan eyes narrowed at the thought.

He was snapped out of his musings when Kieran spoke nearby.

"Looks like the dudes and dudettes are doing just fine." He commented as he watched the proceedings through the monitors.

"Hm, our practice runs seems to be paying off." Dia agreed as he stood near to Hadrian's right.

"They got their asses in the bag, I'm s– oh, never mind. Should've kept my mouth shut." Kieran muttered under his breath.

The reason for his sudden change in tone was due to his fellow retainers' formidable encounters with the intruders. His retainers held the advantage at first, but as the minutes went on, they seem to be having some difficulties in taking down their respective opponents. Hadrian can tell that they were restraining themselves from going all-out, which would simply spell a lot of trouble for them.

Hadrian was tempted to open the mind link to provide them his commands to settle the battle in their favor, but seeing the looks of concentration on their faces, he felt that it was not the right time yet.

"Charles seems to be having a tough time out there." Kieran mused aloud, frowning at the screen.

True to his observation, the cheeky retainer was struggling a bit as he tried to move on the offense against the enemy.

Unfortunately for Charles, the intruder had proven himself to be quite a skilled combatant, given how seamlessly his enemy defended himself from both Charles and Scáthach's attacks. The way the intruder moved, behaved and respond to their attacks, Hadrian was beginning to realize that the intruders might not be the average magi.

A thoughtful frown made its way to his face, something that Kieran and Dia took notice of.

"Milord?" Dia said in a low voice, catching his young lord's attention.

"Just thinking, Dia." Hadrian answered, smiling faintly at the look of concern that the servant of the lance gave him.

"Care to share, Boss?" Kieran asked, raising one brow.

When he saw Hugo and Edward turned their attention to him, Hadrian had decided to speak his thoughts then and there.

"Very well then." The young heir huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Those intruders… they are not ordinary people."

The four men blinked, processing his statement before Kieran spoke.

"Obviously, Boss. I think being able to give our guys trouble to capture them speaks for that." The amber-eyed servant said with a skeptical expression.

In return, Hadrian gave him an exasperated look, something that only amused Kieran.

A cough nearby caught their attention, causing them to turn to Dia who was the source of the noise.

"I think what milord is trying to say, Kieran, is that the intruders are not ordinary human." Dia elaborated, turning to Hadrian for confirmation. "Isn't that right, milord?"

"Yes, what you said is correct." Hadrian agreed with a nod. "How the intruders fight are too graceful, which speaks of their immense battle experience, especially the one that Charles and Scáthach is fighting. The terrain they are fighting in is unknown to both parties, yet the intruders fought back with equal intensity. I find that suspicious."

"Perhaps the intruders have certain heritages then?" Hugo suggested, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"I would've been inclined to consider that as a possibility if it weren't for the fact that there aren't many magical bloodlines left in this world with great potential like mine." Hadrian said with a sigh.

"That's true." Edward agreed. "There's not many mage families like the noble ones, nor any prodigious magi with great power known as of now."

"Cept for the boss right here." Kieran cut in with a small grin.

"Silence, you." Hadrian reproached in a calm tone, disliking the amber-eyed servant's unnecessary boasting.

"Just saying." Kieran chuckled as he raised his hands up in defense.

It was a testament to Hadrian's familiarity with Kieran that the blonde haired young man merely sighed again in response, used to amber-eyed retainer's behavior.

"Back on topic, the theory with the intruders being prodigious magi in disguise is also not possible. If they were, someone would have taken notice of them and the Mage's Association would have been aware of their existence, particularly opa." Hadrian stated with a thoughtful expression.

Hadrian gave Hugo and Edward a knowing look, something that the two older magi understood.

If there was someone who is well-informed of any changes occurring in their world, it would be the infamous Magician of the Kaleidoscope, **Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg**. Therefore, the two magi felt no need to refute the young heir's words since what he did say was the truth, which brought a question to their minds.

"Then, what do you think they are, young master?" Edward asked in a polite tone.

Silence pervaded upon them as the four males watched Hadrian mused quietly to himself, staring at the monitor with a calm and regal expression. The look in his bright cyan eyes told them a different story though, they were focused and held a cold, calculative gleam that can only be seen on a first-rate magus.

It was something that Hugo and Edward were highly familiar with, considering as they had seen such an expression from their Lord Zelretch whenever he was thinking seriously, or intended to dissect a poor bastard for pissing him off. The two magi felt a bit unnerved how similar the young heir was to his grandfather at that moment, judging by the expression he wore alone.

'_Like grandfather, like grandson, I suppose_…' Edward and Hugo both thought, unaware of each other's similar opinion.

"I have my suspicions…" Hadrian began slowly, watching the battles through the monitor. "But, I would rather not say."

"Why'z that?" Kieran asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Because I think we're about to find out anyway." Hadrian smiled grimly, gesturing in front of him.

As one, the four males turned their questioning gazes to the monitors, their eyes widening in surprise as they all watched the proceedings recorded in perfect clarity.

"Oh…" Hugo muttered in surprise.

…

* * *

…

[… **Spider's Nest – West** ...]

Fate has a strange way of doing things sometimes.

In the case of Scáthach, it happened to her in the least way she had expected.

Once, Scáthach was a mortal. She had been as normal as any other people in the past, albeit blessed with power, beauty and wisdom. As the sole owner of her lands, she had people that served under her rule and Scáthach had done her best to be fair and just in role as their queen. In return, she was respected and highly revered as someone in a position of power.

Then, slowly, monsters of all various types descended upon her lands. And in time, she gained a certain lust for battle, growing continuously as she fought against powerful creatures as it went on.

She supposed that was when everything began to slowly change for her. However, she certainly did not expect that her favorite past time would eventually turn into her own worst nightmare.

The more she fought all kinds of beast that intruded upon her territory throughout the years, the more she grew experienced and powerful. Too powerful. So great that Scáthach became greatly feared even by the gods themselves, and she was only too late to realize the consequences of the subtle changes in her body as her victories continued to rise.

When Scáthach noticed that her body remained unchanging, no matter how time had passed on, that was when she knew that she was no longer a mortal.

She had panicked at first and tried to find other ways to stop her body from turning into a true immortal, but all the methods she found yielded no true results. Except for one, the crimson spear that she made from the materials of a special tree that she took great care in nurturing, '**Gae Bolg**'.

The crimson spear became the perfect tool to slay creatures who have immortal attribute, which she then used to slay many enemies that pervaded her territory. She had originally intended to use the spear for her own purpose, but when so many monsters came to her home, Scáthach was left with no choice but to defend her lands by using the murderous spear, along with her prized runes.

Her reputation grew so fearsome that she earned an ominous title from the local folk, the '**Warrior Queen of Dun Scaith**'.

But, Scáthach didn't care. What only matters to her was that her territory was clean of monsters, keeping her people safe and her lands peaceful.

However, not all things can last as the era of the Age of the Gods began to wane, what with the phantasmal creatures and the gods themselves retreated to the reverse side of the world. There was an unknown calamity that caused the deities to escape to the other side out of panic when most of their kind died under the hands of a powerful enemy that seemed despised them.

By then, it was already too late to know the source of the calamity when Scáthach herself became so busy with defending her territory from hordes of monsters.

It had been sudden, like a dam bursting due to overflow of water, when the monsters came upon her lands and made themselves comfortable by building nests upon nests around her beloved territory, much to her annoyance. And Scáthach was left with no other choice but to hunt down and kill the rats (monsters, wraiths, gods, etc.) loitering about near her home.

The pests stained her lands with their vile energies, turning the once rich, healthy soil and untainted meadows into something dead and incapable of even producing grass, much less any plant life. Her lands was so littered with wraith-like creatures, Scáthach gained an immense power that she can control over and close the gate of her realm to ward off the dead, turning into a ruler and gatekeeper.

It was at that time when the realm under her rule began to separate itself from the world, eventually turning into a dreary and dangerous place known as the '**Land of Shadows**'.

When the last of her servants had passed on and Scáthach became the only one left alive in the castle, she first had thoughts of committing suicide to join them. The thought of living alone by her own lonesome in the castle for an indefinite time scared her, not that her pride would ever admit it out loud. But, her sense of duty to her previous subjects and her pride kept herself from doing the deed.

And so, for countless years, Scáthach had lived in quiet solitude, only leaving the castle to deal with the monsters appear upon her lands every once in a while.

Somewhere in between those years, she took in many warriors that sought out her teachings and wisdom, among that stood out were Ferdiad and Cu Chulainn, who both made their respective marks down in the history of mankind. Scáthach was proud of her pupils and their achievements, but she would never admit it out loud in fear of stroking their already inflated egos.

The idiot duos were already unbearable enough with their usual antics, she doesn't want to give them another reason to become even more annoying.

When it was time for her students to leave, Scáthach did not see them off due to having already passed down all her teachings to them. Using her foresight, Scáthach had predicted her student's final moments, and she lamented that the man who might be the only one that she would allow to end her life had also beaten her to the grave.

After the death of her pupils, Scáthach became more closed off from the world as she merely focused on her duty as the sole ruler and gatekeeper of the realm, which had effectively caused the Land of Shadows to be completely sundered from the mortal world, fully becoming a land of the dead.

Still continuing to exist unto modern times and unable to become a Heroic Spirit on the Throne of Heroes, Scáthach had not ventured outside of the Land of Shadows for two thousand years. Unable to die, she could only wait until the time of the world its outside would finally disappear. At least, that was what she had always thought.

Never did she expected that her life would quickly change its course just by meeting a strange young man.

And that strange young man would become her Master, Hadrianus Mathius von Schweinorg.

Scáthach's lips almost twitched into a smile as she thought about the young man in question, absentmindedly ducking under the roundhouse punch that the intruder sent in her direction. She retaliated by using her crimson spear twirling it in her hand as she turned around after evading the punch before whipping at her foe with the side end of her weapon.

***SMACK***

Her aim was true when her attack landed on the intruder's temple, quickly forcing the intruder away from her by ten feet or more.

Scáthach let out a smirk when she immediately noticed the few droplets of blood on the ground that came from the wound on the intruder's temple.

The end of her spear was designed with a small yet sharp point, which can easily pierce through the skin and cause it to break if enough speed and force was used into the attack. The spear appears similar to Gae Bolg, but lacks the 'cause and effect' ability. She decided to forgo with her cursed spear for the meantime, opting to save the chance to use it when she truly needed it to.

To the intruder's credit, he remained composed and aware as he managed himself upright, even as Charles rushed in and took her place, almost coming out of nowhere.

"UOH!" The cheeky retainer shouted out a battle cry as he attacked.

With a speed that can't be tracked by the naked eye of a normal person, Charles went on the offense.

Flashes of silver appeared in the air as he attacked with his wave-patterned straight sword, whistling through the air as his assault continued on relentlessly. Charles was quite determined to not give the intruder the upper hand in the fight, but sadly, his opponent was too skilled, too fast for him to hit with his sword skills alone.

Nevertheless, Charles was not discouraged by it as he simply remained on the offense and waited for an opportunity to land a fatal hit on the enemy.

He wasn't the only one active in the fight though. Every now and then, the intruder would counter his attacks with one of his own, either by punching or kicking at him after evading or parrying Charles's sword strikes. Most often than not, Charles had to take a few moments to do his best to roll or dash out of the way to avoid being on the other end of his foe's counters.

It was only thanks to his own experience and honed instincts that he was able to do so. That, and Scáthach's sneaky interventions had helped him as well.

Scáthach would subtly attack with her spear here and there close to wherever the intruder might back away or move as she went to his blind spots. While Charles prided himself in being skilled with the sword, he was not foolish as to deny the crimson eyed woman's help when it comes to a battle that he obviously can't win on his own, as much as it rankled on his nerves for being weak.

'_No_…' He corrected himself. '_Not me. This bastard is just too strong!_'

Only a minute had passed, and Charles was quick enough to realize that the intruder was a **monster**.

Every single time he strike, the big guy never failed to respond, either to parry or to counter his attacks. One would think that someone of his build would have trouble moving faster within a blink of an eye, but the bastard Charles was fighting at the moment certainly does not have any qualms about it.

Not only that, he was outclassed by the intruder's physique as well. Charles was given a body that was quite strong and durable enough to handle the powers of a Servant. But, it wasn't without its own limitations. Using too much of his powers can possibly cause his physical body to explode. Hence, the reason why he and the others often prefer to switch to their servant forms if the battle goes hard.

Unfortunately, the option was strictly closed off for the time being, due to the current circumstance.

The intruder was too strong and nimble to take down, even with him and Scáthach joining forces. Heck, they have yet to even make some real damages on the bastard's cloak. He and Scáthach have been trying to cut at the intruder's cloak for a while now to reveal the bastard's face, but the process was slow. So far, they have made scratches on it, and the wound on his temple went ignored.

Charles's only saving grace was due to his own experience and Scáthach's timely interventions. If not for that, Charles might have died in the few times he exchanged blows with the intruder earlier.

They were managing the flow of battle so far, but he would rather not delude himself into thinking that they could bring the intruder in without sustaining some injuries on their end. As his liege had often told him, one can never expect how a battle would end, especially when the enemy was also an experienced fighter.

'_One thing left to do then_…' The cheeky retainer mused.

He saw Scáthach gave him a slight nod, and that was when he knew it was time.

With narrowed eyes and gritted teeth, Charles sidestepped a high kick, barely escaping the counter by a hair's breadth, and did a swift turn before he pulled the sword back to his chest, bending his legs a bit as he poised right arm with the blade into a coiling position while his left held the sheathe to his waist.

Once he saw an opportunity, the black and white haired retainer quickly dashed forward and he went in for the kill. He thrust the sword with great force, exerting the necessary magical energy into his right hand to give the piercing strike a bit more strength. The intruder saw the attack coming and merely dashed to the side a few feet away from him, which was just as he expected.

Charles smirked.

"Got ya, bastard!" He taunted.

Before the intruder could process what he said, a flash of white bluish light of a rune appeared on the ground near his feet and a great explosion followed immediately after. The kinetic force blew the giant of a man further away from Charles, who only looked on at Scáthach's runic handy work with an appreciative eye.

A large, black crater appeared where the intruder had stood, cracked with web lines and gauged by six feet. And as for the bastard himself, Charles saw the black cloaked form that laid so still on the ground, located just outside of the crater. What elated him more was that the cloak looked quite damaged, appearing tattered and incredibly singed.

'_Heh, that's big sis for you. Primordial Runes for the win!_' The cheeky retainer grinned.

He heard footsteps nearby, but Charles kept his eyes on the intruder's downed form, unwilling to let his guard down.

"Think that's enough?" He asked Scáthach, who stepped beside him.

"No, it's not." Scáthach replied, her tone was clear yet ominous. "I'm afraid it'll take more than that to bring that cur down."

Charles glance at her in surprise and curiosity, noticing the glare on her beautiful face before he turned his gaze back to their enemy. He turned just in time to see the intruder slowly standing back up, and Charles can't help but make a comparison. It felt as if he was watching a beaten zombie right itself into a standing position, arms spread and back arched in a creepy manner.

His humor quickly dissipated when a loud ominous growl emanated from the intruder, who then proceeded to take off the cloak from his body in a rough fashion, almost ripping it in the process.

The intruder's appearance was as uncanny as his presence.

The first thing that they noticed was the long black and gold shroud that covered his face from front to back. It had diamond patterns that run along the length of it. Two sets of small black chains were wrapped around his head to keep the shroud from falling off. Although, it caused Charles to wonder idly how the intruder was able to see through the cloth since there were no visible holes.

The enemy was taller than the average man, and quite muscled, from top to bottom. The enemy's skin was dyed red, but over his chest near his heart, a shape of a large scar was dyed white.

He wore black pants that ended his knees, a large black sash that was wrapped around his waist like a belt, and a knee-length chlamys with a similar design that covered his rear and sides. He was also wearing a pair of black leather sandals to protect his feet.

'_Well, at least it's now confirmed that this bastard's a guy_.'

Charles opened his mouth to taunt the enemy, but was rendered speechless when he sensed a familiar sensation permeating from the intruder.

It was the aura of a **Servant**.

As if in response to his thoughts, the dark red skinned intruder lifted both of his arms slightly and opened his hands. A flash of crimson magic particles later, a large wooden bow and a few long arrows appeared in his left and right hands respectively. Such an image was the only thing that Charles and Scáthach needed to confirm that their enemy was truly a Heroic Spirit.

"Oi, oi! What the fuck is this?" Charles growled lowly, glaring at the taller spirit. "How the hell is there a Rogue Servant running around? I thought Kieran was the last one."

"No clue." Scáthach answered, calm and poised. The slight tension in her shoulders hinted that she was on guard though. "And for the record, Kieran's case was different. Also, we do not have time to argue. That cur seems intent on wreaking havoc in this place. We have to prevent him from causing too much disturbance, especially if he uses his Noble Phantasm."

Knowing that she was right, Charles silenced his protests and followed after the crimson eyed woman, who reinitiated the battle once more.

As he assisted her in the fight, he can only hope that his fellow retainers and his liege were doing better than he and Scáthach were. Charles had been a bit skeptical with his master's warnings before regarding the intruders, but after knowing their true nature and realizing the danger they represent, he was beginning to believe that the case had become a lot more difficult.

...

He could use a drink right about now.

…

* * *

…

In the east of the island, a furious battle had taken place in a small clearing of crystallized trees.

Yan Qing, Astolfo and Medusa fought against an enemy Servant that they had just recently uncovered. The clashing sounds of metal upon metal and the noises of punches and kicks making contact against one's skin disturbed the tranquil silence of the area. The three retainers glared at their mutual enemy, determined to not give their foe any breathing room.

After a few clashes that led to an eventual draw, the three retainers retreated to a safe distance, disengaging from the enemy to gather their bearings and reassess the situation.

The trio had been fighting the intruder for quite a while, and they have yet to make actual progress in capturing the damn interloper. Recently, they had a bit of success in uncovering their foe's cloak off (courtesy of a certain pink haired paladin), but trying to knock them out unconscious was much easier said than done.

The source for their failure and difficulty was due to the intruder himself, and they also can't help but tense in his presence.

Standing eleven meters away from them was a tall man in his late 40's, who still has a hale physique and broad shoulders despite his age.

Said man has a long light gray hair, coupled with a pair of blood red eyes and a beard. He was attired in a complete set of black plated armor, the left side of which was almost completely stained with blood, and a crimson red, tattered cape that attached around his shoulders and neck. The cape was pinned together by a fang-like ornament to keep it from falling off.

In his hands were two different polearms, one was made out of dark gray metal and the other was a dark bronze. Both have different structures, but has the same needle-like point. Although, they look simple and almost regal in style, the polearms gave out a dreadful aura that reminded them of a certain crimson spear that was favored by one of their allies.

The polearms does not emit an awful bloodthirsty aura like Gae Bolg does. Rather than an aura, they felt as if the polearms in the enemy's hands has a history that was as dark as the (in)famous spear of Scandinavian legend, as if they too had been used to kill many people, regardless of whether the victims were innocent or not in the eyes of its wielder.

What was more disturbing about him was the crazed look in his crimson eyes. They held the glint of someone determined yet deranged. The combination of his blood stained figure, the zealous light in his red bloodshot eyes, and the manic grin on his bearded countenance left a very intimidating impression upon those who looked at him.

Medusa might be unperturbed by him due to her having seen something worse before, but Astolfo and Yan Qing were not. Therefore, their tense expressions were understandable in this case. The two had fought against monsters before in the past, especially after they have been summoned by their liege, but never have they seen someone like him before.

Unbeknownst to the two, Medusa stared at the intruder with her usual placid expression. Yet, her light lavender eyes held a hint of familiarity in them, as if she recognized the enemy's identity.

Medusa has her suspicions as to who the black knight was, recalling that she had seen him somewhere before, but she was not sure where and when. It was somewhere in the back of her mind, but she could never remember it for the life of her. Nevertheless, the white-haired knight's presence does make her wary of him. She simply had more experienced in hiding her emotions than her allies.

As if to prove their thoughts, the blood-stained knight let out a bellowing eerie laugh. Unlike how most B-rate villains in movies would do it, the one that the bloody knight made was unsettling enough it caused the smalls hairs on both Yan and Astolfo's skin to rise as they watched their mutual foe with cautious eyes, inwardly resisting the urge to take a step back.

"Mon dieu, this guy's not quite right in the head, isn't he?" Astolfo chuckled nervously, perturbed by the intruder's sudden laughter.

"Ya sure have a knack for understating things, pinky." Yan muttered with a sigh of exasperation.

"Well, they do say that it's one of my charming points." Astolfo grinned, almost forgetting about the enemy.

"Says who?" Yan retorted, looking annoyed and skeptical.

"Why, the beautiful ladies I encounter in my journey, of course." Astolfo answered cheekily, amused by the glare he was given.

"Here he comes, brace yourselves." Medusa warned, interrupting their bickering.

"Oh fuck…!" Yan cursed under his breath.

"Merde!" Astolfo grimaced.

"Huhuhuhahahaha! More! More! MORE!" The bloodstained Servant raved out loud, a maniacal grin on his face. "Show me your struggles! Show me your love!" Here, his red bloodshot eyes grew even wider, if that was even possible. "And let me paint! The ground! With your BLOOOOOOOOD!"

Right after he shouted, the blood-stained knight ran towards them and vanished in a sudden burst of speed after a few steps, almost leaving an afterimage behind his wake.

He reappeared in front of Astolfo, who nearly flinched at the quick appearance of the mad black knight a few feet in the air above him.

"Where the hell did he come from?!" Yan complained from nearby.

The pink haired retainer was quick on his toes, materializing a white and gold paladin lance in his hands a split second later before he used it to guard the intruder's overhead attack.

***BANG***

***CRACK***

Astolfo managed to block the attack in time, but he didn't expect the force behind it to nearly overwhelm him.

Violet eyes widened in shock when he felt his feet sunk slightly into the ground, nearly causing his knees to buckle and the earth under him to fissure once the intruder's weapon came into contact with the shaft of his lance. The idea of the interloper being strong enough to make him almost kneel down through strength alone was as startling as it was vexing for him to accept.

"Damn…" Astolfo grunted through gritted teeth.

He held the lance above his head, trying to push back using the strength in his upper body. The pink haired servant might have the most delicate appearance in their group (with his Master following as the second to this claim) and an unreliable servant for most of the time, but he was confident in his strength.

And yet, the more Astolfo tried to push him off, the more he slowly felt the shift in balance as the intruder continued to lock weapons with him.

Astolfo nearly flinched when he saw the crazy bearded servant leaned in close, crimson eyes flashed as the manic grin turned almost unhinged and bloodthirsty. A pair of fangs made itself known as he opened his mouth and let out another roar of laughter, glinting ominously despite of the lack of sunlight.

"Kuahahaha! Yes! YES! Struggle! Show me your mettle! Show me the will for your love!" He bellowed passionately and zealously.

'_Ugh! What are those two doing?!_' He shouted in his mind, feeling uncomfortable.

As if sensing to his thoughts, he heard footsteps nearby and a quick charge of magical energy nearing close in his direction before he heard the familiar voice of an ally.

"FUCKING BASTAAAAAAAAAARD!" Yan roared.

"… Eh?"

Astolfo blinked in shock, feeling surprised when the bloodstained knight disappeared from his peripheral vision, as if blinking out of existence.

Instead, what greeted him was Yan, who looked at him with a dubious expression of his own. His fellow retainer and friend, Yan Qing.

The Yan Qing, who was currently in mid-air with his body positioned in a flying kick, and whose foot was charged with his distinctive bright yellow magical energy.

Knowing of what was about to happen, Astolfo just felt like crying at that moment.

"NO WAI–"

"AH OI! DU–"

***THWACK***

"AUGH!" Astolfo cried out, reeling from the pain.

With the intruder avoiding the sneak attack at the last second, the magically charged flying kick that was supposed to hit the crazy bearded old man had hit Astolfo instead.

Yan's left foot had planted itself directly on Astolfo's face, causing the pink haired paladin to fly backwards. Astolfo's back slammed against a peculiar black crystal that stood out of the ground, then he slid down onto his front in a painful heap a few feet away from where he had stood, looking a bit out of it.

Before Yan could even feel sorry for his friend, he was suddenly accosted by the bloodstained knight, who turned his demented attention upon him before right after he sent Astolfo away.

Yan's face turned grim when he saw the ominous glint in the armored Servant's red eyes and the dual polearms gripped in his hands, both readied at his sides as he got closer to him.

The intention in his enemy's eyes was clear, and Yan, while surprised by the sudden turn of events, was not unprepared. He had some experience with sparring individuals who uses spears or lances, so he was not concerned for a close up battle, despite being unarmed. The one thing that does worry him though, was whether he can hit the enemy with his attacks.

Yan's fighting style mostly revolves around unarmed techniques. He has the speed, strength, and proper instinct of an assassin class Servant that was above the average. His experience with enemies that favor spears or lances can help him greatly in the fight. He honestly would have no problem, if not for the fact that his opponent seems to be stronger and faster than him.

Earlier, before they managed to uncloak the bearded bastard, Yan noticed the difference in strength and speed.

Even handicapped as he was by fighting the three of them at the same time, the intruder managed to last for thirty minutes or so before they got the chance to inflict enough damage on the black cloak to render the protections inscribed upon it useless. Their Master warned them that there were spells casted on the cloak, protecting the intruders from his abilities to discover identities.

Yan has some suspicion that his Master knows why, but for now, what was important was for them to damage the cloak enough that the protections would be rendered inert.

The white bearded bastard was mostly passive and silent earlier before the cloak was damage. Then, when he, Rider, and Astolfo managed to successfully damage the cloak enough for the enemy to discard it away, the mission to take down the intruder had simply become a lot more difficult from then on, especially when spikes specifically designed for impalement kept coming out of thin air.

It was as if the black cloak was restraining the enemy's true parameters, which would explain the reason why the white bearded old goat had suddenly became a lot stronger, faster and kept resorting to cheap tricks by trying to impale them with black spikes from whatever hellhole he pulled it out from.

The evidence of that last observation can be seen in the small clearing they happened to be fighting in, pinned on the ground and tree crystals here and there.

With an irate huff to himself, Yan dashed forward and met the intruder in the middle.

"HAAH!" He shouted, a determined glare on his face.

Yan started the fight with a quick jab to the face, undaunted by the polearm that was about to close in on fist.

He had already charged his fist with his magical energy, so he was not concern about being injured. While the polearms gave off an ominous vibe, he sensed that they were normal enough and he has expectations that he would be able to deflect them with just his fists alone. But, he would need to be careful since the bearded bastard has the advantage in range and power.

It was only speed that Yan felt he was in equal terms with the intruder.

His turn (and mental preparation) for a one-on-one fight had gone down to the drain when a certain lavender haired servant stole his highlight by landing a roundhouse kick on the enemy's chest as she suddenly came out of nowhere, which caught the bloodstained knight off guard as he was thrown back to the side.

Medusa followed up on her attack by a series quick slashes, unwilling to let the bloodstained knight get the upper hand again.

The statuesque woman thorough and precise with her assault. She had made use of her weapon and the flexibility of her body in an efficient manner. She used her deadly scythe, **Harpe**, as her main offense, then her powerful kicks to keep the intruder off his guard, which often worked in her favor as it lets her flow continue without interruption.

The chains attached to the scythe was also not spared as she uses it to restrain the enemy's foot or arm every time she gets the opportunity.

The white bearded bastard tried to retaliate, to counter, but Medusa was vicious, diligent and opportunistic with her attacks. She attacks whenever it was safe, and she defends whenever she has too. It was a matter of timing when to strike, guessing the next move and how to evade them. She was like a beautiful and deadly snake, striking hard and viciously yet nimble and fast enough to get away.

She was so meticulous in her strategy, it almost made Yan forgot that she stole his turn to fight the bastard.

Yan shook his head slightly, ridding his mind of the childish negativity.

"Ah, no. I think she can handle that bastard for a while." He muttered under his breath. "Gotta check on pinky first."

He turned to look over his shoulder and sighed when he saw that his fellow retainer still got swirls in his eyes.

"Ey! Pinky! Get up!" Yan shouted as he ran to his friend's side. "C'mon, get off your ass. You can do that later once this is over!"

"Ugh… my head…" Astolfo groaned as he slowly rose to his feet.

"Sorry, but no time for that. We'll get Master to heal you up later, but try to stay in the game." Yan urged as he dragged him to assist their fellow retainer in the fight.

"Argh… right." Astolfo said dazedly, slowly coming to his senses.

Then, as if realizing something, he turned his head and glared at Yan as they jogged to where the two servants were fighting.

"Your kick hurt, by the way." Astolfo began, violet eyes squinting as a scheme formed in his mind.

"It's supposed to hurt." Yan laughed dryly, slightly sheepish at his previous blunder.

"You know I'm going to get back at you for that." Astolfo stated with a glare, which doesn't seem to affect Yan in the slightest.

"What?! The hell would you do that for? I didn't expect that bearded bastard would just vanish, you know?" Yan reasoned, glaring back.

"It still hurt, ya know! Merde, look at my face!" Astolfo shouted, pointing at himself after he saw his reflection via the crystal. "I got a shoe mark from my forehead and down to my chin!"

Quelling the urge to laugh out loud, Yan shook his head in exasperation.

"Argh, whatever, pinky!" Yan coughed into his hand, feigning irritation before jogging ahead of him.

"Oi! You were laughing just now, weren't cha!" Astolfo accused.

"I don't know what'cha talkin' bout!"

So focused were they in their banter, the two servants did not noticed the seemingly black crystal (the one that Astolfo had slammed his back against by coincidence) had moved, twitching every few seconds as if it was alive by the time the two male retainers joined in their fellow ally in the battle.

…

* * *

…

[… **at the same time** …]

Arturia stilled, then looked over her shoulder with narrowed green eyes.

"Is there something wrong?" A familiar voice asked nearby.

Arturia turned to face the source and saw Arash standing a couple of steps ahead of her, looking back at her with a curious expression.

The two of them were on their way to their destination, which was in the south of the island that somewhere close to the center. At first, they started their venture by running, but when Arturia's instincts began to act up, she suggested for the both of them to proceed to their destination by walking.

Something told her that by venturing ahead without exerting proper caution would bring them trouble later on. Her instincts have yet to prove her wrong even now, so Arturia had no complaints in being extra cautious. It was something that their Master had suggested for them, to begin with.

Therefore, they proceeded deep into the island with their guards up and their senses at the ready.

The former King of Knights looked down at her feet, a pensive expression on her beautiful and elegant countenance.

"Hmm… no." Arturia eventually said, tilting her head up to look at her companion. "I merely felt that the others are probably fighting the enemies right about now."

"Ah, well, that just leaves us then." Arash said with a smile. "Why don't we go along and meet our target? Don't want whoever it is to become too bored now."

Used to his carefree behavior, Arturia smiled slightly at her companions words.

"Then, let us be off." She agreed, following after the servant of the bow's lead.

Despite her calm and poise, Arturia couldn't help but feel on edge.

Having been in tune with her magical energy, Arturia felt a disturbance in the air earlier. Hence, the reason she paused and looked over her shoulder before. It was a spike of foreign magical essence, so quick that she almost thought that she had imagined it. But then, her instincts began sending signs of danger, slowly and steadily, as she followed Arash deep into a valley of crystals.

Speaking of her companion, Arturia glanced at Arash with her usual stoic and regal expression, noting the lack of a smile on the bowman's face.

Her companion would normally have a smile on his face, no matter where he is. The tan skinned bowman was simply a cheerful man in mind, body and soul. Therefore, it was rather surprising for her to see him acting serious and wary the moment they began their trek deep into the valley of crystals.

Then again, Arturia could hardly blame him, given their current situation.

The eerie quiet that permeated the area as they ventured deeper was enough to make a cheerful man such as Arash wipe the smile off his smile. The level of danger that they both sensed was simply on a different note than anything that they had encountered before, which caused for them to put their guards up.

The way the dark clouds and the rumblings of thunder in the distance only made the situation grimmer and made them wary of anything that might come at their way.

Ironically, the tenseness in the air and grim outlook of the area reminded Arturia of that one memory from long ago.

That certain moment when she looked up at the dark skies of Britain while standing on top of a pile of corpses, holding Excalibur in her hands, taking a few moments to compose herself before she had to go into the castle and meet her dear old uncle Vortigern to kill him, to claim what was rightfully hers and free her people from his terrible reign.

'_No_…'

Arturia closed her eyes for a brief moment, taking a deep breath before exhaling through her nose.

Recalling that moment of her life while venturing on a dangerous territory was not good, she scolded herself. Arturia could even argue that being on this island was affecting her way of thinking, but not to the point that she felt like panicking. Instead, it was as if the dreadful atmosphere surrounding the island was causing her mind to think of negative things.

There was something in the air, and Arturia would bet her sword that it was the Spider's magical energy that was the source of it.

Speaking of which, their current destination was towards the crimson light that kept blinking from a far distance.

They had been informed that it was where the intruder was last seen, and so they are now on their way to reach the designated location. Although, they were also warned by the Chief Director, Edward Miles, that it was where the Spider had made its dwelling before it went to its hibernation.

If anyone had told her that she would heading towards the territory of one of the most powerful beings in the world, Arturia would have thought of them as crazy.

But then, here she was, wary yet willing to venture into the depths of a powerful alien, all at the behest of her master.

Fortunately, the various colors of light within the crystals were bright enough to clear their way, at the very least. Although, the crimson light flashing from a far distance and above their heads made the shadows of the tall crystals eerie as they loomed over her, making her heart thump nervously against her chest.

The former King of Britain gripped handle of wind covered Excalibur, feeling her restless heart calm by the assurance of her sacred weapon at her side.

By the time Arturia regained her poise, she saw Arash suddenly held up his hand the moment she looked up. The gesture held a simple meaning, and that was to stop moving. Without questioning him, Arturia stopped, but her gaze followed Arash, who kept on moving but at a slower pace this time.

Curiously, she watched him stop, then slowly crouch down with one knee on the ground. He slowly reached out with one hand and gently touched something with his fingers. The area was dark, so she didn't realized what he was touching until he pulled out a small flashlight from his pocket with his other hand and cast a light on it.

Arturia's brows raised in surprise when she realized that he was touching a wire, which reflected from the flashlight and the light from the crystals.

"Look here." Arash said to her, gesturing to the wire. "A trap, and a dangerous one at that."

As emphasis, Arash looked up and Arturia followed his gaze, green eyes widening slightly in surprise when she noticed something attached on the crystal trees, covertly hidden from the naked eyes. It would take someone with great eyesight as the one that Arash has to notice due to how well hidden the devices of what she presumed as bombs.

"By the looks of it, those things seems to be bombs." Arash explained, confirming her assumption as he inspected the objects with critical eyes. "I don't know how many there are, but given the amount of wires that I can see from here, I'm guessing it's a lot. They may be small, but I suspect that they have enough power to blow this part of the island sky high, which won't be good for us."

The former High King's brows knitted in thought.

"The intruder managed to set up an elaborate trap in such a short time?" She stated the words in a questioning manner.

"Well, we did took our time getting here. Bastard probably got bored and took his sweet time in setting this up, most likely just to make our lives difficult." Arash shrugged, then moved the light in front of him. "Look there, see how many wires are connected? From that tree to the next, there're bombs attach on each of them. One trigger will probably create a large domino effect of explosion in one go."

"Which might cause a large explosion that can shake the island." Arturia summarized, emerald eyes narrowing in distaste.

"And will surely wake up an angry alien." Arash continued with a deadpan smile.

"How do we proceed then?" Arturia asked, frowning slightly in displeasure. "It'll be dangerous if we simply jump over them. Can you dismantle them?"

"Can't." Arash shook his head, scowling at the wire. "It's too risky since I don't know what kind of set up this is. I've only ever dismantled bear traps and the likes, but not bombs like these. So, this kind of thing is out of my depth. Master probably can, but he's not here right now. Besides, even if I can, I wouldn't be able to since there are bombs on the ground as well. I think they're called mines."

"Then, how can we proceed without triggering these… traps?" Arturia asked again.

"Hmm… we can try that one method." Arash answered in an idle tone, standing up and turning to face her.

Seeing the suspicious glint in his dark brown eyes, Arturia frowned at him as she had an inkling to the plan he was about to propose.

"No, we are not going to use a boat to fly over these things." She refused adamantly.

To her surprise and mild annoyance, Arash blinked and let out a roar of laughter, obviously amused by her response.

"Huh? Wha– No! Hahaha, no, no. That's not it." The tan skinned bowman shook his head with a grin, wiping a tear from his eye. "I was just about to say that we can go around this area. There's a way around this forested part – or should it be crystal forest? – that we can just walk around. Whoever set this up, he probably thought that we're amateurs and could catch us off guard with these bombs."

"Then, off we go." Arturia said with a sigh, relaxing her stance.

With a chuckle at her expense, Arash led the way and the two of them walked around booby trapped entrance.

True to his expectation, there was an open gap by the edge of the path filled crystal trees that was untouched, which surprised Arturia slightly. Given the elaborate set up of the traps, she had expected that the intruder would not leave such an oversight for them to use. She also had a feeling that the intruder might be quite the schemer to be able to pull of such a thing.

As they went passed the trap filled area, Arash had taken the time to point out the black pillars in some parts of the area, some of which were close by as they walked past them.

Arturia and Arash were on their guard as they slowly maneuver their way out to the entrance, mindful not to step too close to the black pillars. There was simply something about them that caused their instincts to ring, as if stepping too carelessly near the pillars would bring about a great danger upon them in less than a moment.

Thus, they both did their best to not be near them and carefully treaded their way around.

It was silent between them the entire time, but they took no notice of it due to their focus on the task of getting to safety.

Few minutes later, Arturia and Arash managed to reach the entrance safely and, without wasting time, stepped into to the crystal valley.

Upon entering, she heard Arash say "whoa" under his breath, causing her to look up, only to share his reaction.

Greeting their sights was the view of a low ground floor filled with tall pillars of crystals that jutted out from the ground in a haphazard manner, creating a beautiful yet foreboding scenery. The entrance she and Arash were standing on was elevated by a wide yet short set of staircase, which provided them a good view of the new area.

As far as the eyes can see, all they can find were crystals almost as tall as the buildings in a modern city. The sizes of the crystals differ from one another though, along with their positions. Some were leaning over one another, while others stood straight. The magical energies within them glow with different colors as well, varying from white, blue, green and more.

Leading down the staircase was a spacious pathway that leads upwards. It was truly a valley of crystals.

However, both their attention was directed to the odd crystal formation that can be seen in the far distance, which was in the center of the island.

It held a strange, spiral shape structure, twisting upwards to create a dome shape at the bottom. Although, the thing that grabbed their attention the most was magical energy within the twisted pillars.

They were brighter than the ones that they have seen, including the others that were scattered around the clear vicinity. There were crimson lines inside of them, which were easily seen through from the outside, glowing an eerie blood-red color as if they were veins pumping up blood.

The strange structure was tall enough to be seen in the distance outside of the island, but they didn't get to because of the small hills and taller crystals that surrounded the vicinity. The dense fog and the black clouds did not helped them get a clear look at it as well. The best that they could managed at that time was to follow the crimson light blinking in the center part of the island.

Now that they had seen it properly, the crystallized structure seemed to be a tower of some sort, but Arturia and Arash have an odd feeling it was not meant to be climbed.

It was as if it was meant for something else…

"It's like a creepy beacon of red light. Blinking in and out like that, yeah?" Arash commented beside her with a strange expression.

"Hmm." Arturia agreed, gazing at the alien structure in the center with narrowed eyes.

"Would've been nice if the light was gold or something. At least it wouldn't be so eerie." The bowman bemoaned.

Soon after he said that, Arash began to scout the area with his Clairvoyance, using his current position to his advantage.

Arturia, on the other hand, busied herself with searching for the Blood Beads her master had requested of them to retrieve.

She and Arash had yet to see one along the way, but with the amount of crystal trees down below the ground, Arturia had a good sense that they would be able to find some here. After a few moments of searching, she finally managed to find one. Several of them, in fact. They were on the ground level and a bit far from where they are standing.

"Arash, there are Blood Springs over there." Arturia informed him, pointing the location with her index finger.

"Yeah, I see them, but that's not important for now." Arash spoke lowly, causing her to face him with a confused expression.

Arturia saw the solemn look in the usually cheerful man's face, and she knew there was something amiss.

The bowman didn't turned to face her. Instead, his stern gaze stayed fixated to somewhere far away as his deep red bow materialized in a beautiful display of blue and gold particles in his left hand that he hid from behind his back. The usually cheerful bowman not smiling and quietly summoning his main weapon, they were clear hints of him preparing for battle.

With narrowed eyes, Arturia followed his gaze and saw a small humanoid figure standing in the distance.

It was the intruder.

The black cloak they wore had blended in with the dark, lifeless ground, causing her to almost miss them if not for her companion's good eyesight.

"Then, let us go." Arturia stated, squaring her shoulders as she readied herself for conflict.

"Hm, let's." Arash agreed, nodding slightly.

Together, the two of them made their way down and ran towards the center where the cloaked figure seemed to be waiting for them.

The crimson lighting from the crystalized structure shadowed over their forms, looming over them in an intimidating manner, making them feel a bit tense as the knowledge of a certain alien hibernating within it was nearby. Just there in front of them, and it did not eased their worries that their possible conflict with the intruder might just be the trigger to rouse it from its slumber.

The two of them didn't need to confirm it. The vast magical energy emitting from the spiral crystalized structure was enough of a hint for them to know the answer.

Concerned of such a possibility, Arturia suggested an idea as they moved along the spacious pathway.

"Once it begins, we will need to draw the enemy away from that place." Arturia stated, knowing that her ally would know what she meant was 'it'.

"Like usual, then?" Arash asked in a nonchalant tone.

"Yes." The former King of Knights affirmed.

"Welp… here goes nothing." Arash muttered beside her, smiling grimly.

In less than thirty seconds, the two servants arrived to the center.

Both held onto their main weapons, Arash with his bow and Arturia with her wind covered sword. They stepped closer to the intruder, whose back was turned to them as they slowly came to a stop until they were ten feet away. The distance might give a human trouble to get to the enemy, but not for servants like them. No, ten feet was enough for them to cross in a blink of an eye with their speed.

As soon as they did, a deep, smooth voice of a man broke the silence.

"Quite a spectacular sight, isn't it?"

The two retainers exchanged looks of mild surprise, realizing that it was the figure in front of them who spoke before they turned their gazes back to the intruder.

As if oblivious to their exchange, the black cloaked man continued on as if he was speaking his thoughts aloud. From the angle of his head, the two retainers can tell that the intruder was looking at the spiral crystalized structure in what seemed to be admiration and curiosity, given the tone in his voice.

"No one has come near the Spider's nest, given its danger and risks. Perhaps with the exception of the Kaleidoscope wielder, no other beings had ever entered and come this far into this island. Is this not a cause for celebration? We are the ones that step foot unto this dead island. Do you not think so?" The intruder queried in a nonchalant tone, as if he was simply talking about the weather.

When no response came, the cloaked figure chuckled as he turned around to face them.

The two retainers were glaring at him, bodies tense and ready to engage in combat. But, they were waiting for the intruder to make his move, and their foe was well aware of it as he simply continued on as if he didn't noticed the stern glares sent in his direction. Then, upon realization, the intruder took a step back, causing the two retainers to shift where they were standing.

"Oh, where are my manners? My name is Archer." The intruder introduced himself, giving a gallant bow. "A pleasure to meet the both of you on this fine afternoon."

Having enough of horseplay, Arash took the initiative by releasing an arrow from his crimson bow.

The surprise attack was perfectly timed, Arash had calculated it before the intruder got to complete his intro. And yet, it was easily parried to the side like it was nothing, which caused a mild irritation to rise up in Arash's chest after he saw that his sneak attack had failed.

At least, that was what he thought at first.

The moment his arrow was deflected, Arturia took that chance to dash forward and swung her invisible sword at the intruder, who almost got cleaved in half if not for his last second reaction. The black cloaked figure appeared surprised by her sudden strike, but managed to jump away to safety just in time.

"Ah, so close!" The intruder taunted.

Arturia ignored him, opting to continue her assault by unleashing a series of slashes amplified by the powerful winds covering her treasured sword.

Her prowess with swordplay was displayed in the fight. Coupled with her own parameters as a Heroic Spirit, her attacks were powerful enough to disturb the air in wherever way she directed her sword at. Arturia was famously known as the King of Knights for her skill with the sword, and that testament was proudly shown in the current battle she was engaged in.

To a normal observer's eye, they would only get to see brief bright flashes of silver and gold particles of light that vanished as soon as they appeared, which can cause one to wonder if they imagined it. Arash, however, had no trouble following the proceedings of the fight, thanks to his keen eyes and acute senses as a servant.

The tan skinned bowman frowned, assessing the confrontation with astute eyes.

Arash had noticed something off from the battle. His fellow retainer, Arturia, was still going strong with her assault yet the intruder was able to somehow avoid them all. Some strikes manage to land on him, but the injuries were superficial at best, endurable and light. While the enemy was obviously not a powerhouse like Arturia, the intruder was agile enough to dodge most of her attacks.

What worried Arash was that he can see that the enemy was strong, but most of all, cunning to make use of his abilities.

Just as he thought of it, the intruder changed his tune and went on the counterattack, seemingly having enough of being on the receiving of Arturia's assault. It happened when Arturia was in the middle of a vertical slash, and Arash himself even had trouble believing what he saw was real.

In a display of gold particles, the intruder summoned a cane bearing a chameleon theme and pointed the tip at Arturia, whose emerald eyes widened in shock and alarm.

***BANG***

***BANG***

***BANG***

Three shots were fired, breaking the silence that appeared for a brief second as the loud sounds of a firing gun echoed throughout the crystal valley. Fortunately, Arturia had managed to deflect the two bullets with her sword, thanks to her high instinct, but one got past her senses and grazed at her right arm, taking her by surprise.

Both Arash and Arturia's eyes widened when they noticed a hint of blood seeped through the torn sleeve of her blazer.

'_It got through!_' they thought in unison.

The body that Arturia was using was mostly mortal in flesh and senses, but modified to handle the burdens of a Servant's power. Before the fight began, Arturia used a reinforcement spell to make her delicate vessel a bit more tough and durable to handle even the most intense of combat. At best, bullets that were magically enhanced would only be able to bruise her body.

The ones that hit her, however, appears to be a different story as it seemed to have ignored the effects of the reinforcement spell and penetrated through it instead. It was a simple graze on the arm yet the pain shock her enough out of focus for a moment, which almost caused her to gain another injury.

The intruder used her distraction as a chance to attack again, shifting his stance into something that Arturia was familiar with.

His feet were spread slightly apart, shoulders relaxed yet an underlying tension lied beneath. It was the stance of someone who was about to draw a sword. Her suspicion was proven correct when he suddenly dash forward, just in time for Arturia to prepare herself as a long, thin blade was revealed from within the cane.

***CLANG***

Sparks flew as the cane-sword clashed against her invisible one. There was a bit of struggle of strength between them for a brief moment, but it was Arturia who won the attrition. She used the strength in her lower body and legs to shove him away from her. She was about to follow up on her counter when she quickly noticed a shadow above her.

"Tch!" Arturia gritted her teeth in irritation.

The former King of Knights didn't bother to look up, opting to prioritize her safety first as she disengaged and pulled away from the enemy.

***TWIP***

***WOOSH***

***THWACK***

As she did so, Arturia heard the familiar sound of a bow releasing an arrow and hitting something. What that was, Arturia does not know, but she was aware that the arrow came from her ally and fellow retainer, Arash, who was located somewhere behind her. The projectile was released at the same time she jumped back before the shadow could land on her.

***BOOM***

Dust and dirt exploded as something heavy crash-landed from where she once stood, making a small crater and web-like cracks on the earth. When the cloud dissipated a few moments later, the two retainers narrowed their eyes into a glare as they saw the object in front of the intruder's figure.

It was an object that eerily resembled a coffin that was two heads taller than him, adorned with a few metallic ornaments and a chain attached to it. The other end of the chain was wrapped around their foe's left wrist, who was doubled over and holding his face with his right hand. The cane-sword was in an upright position, stabbed into the earth, while the sheath was on the floor in front of his feet.

Arturia startled, quickly noticing that the intruder was unmasked and the hood was torn off the cloak.

Footsteps was heard from behind, but Arturia didn't turn, keeping her eyes on the intruder instead. There was only one person who was behind her, and that was Arash. Sure enough, the footsteps was gone once he stood beside her. The bow in his left hand was pointed down, but the slight tension in his stance told Arturia that he was still prepared to release an arrow anytime.

"Well, I got his mask…" Arash said with a sigh.

"That you did." Arturia nodded. "But it's not over yet."

"Yeah, I can see that." Arash muttered in a deadpan tone.

But Arturia ignored him, observing the enemy instead.

She noticed that the intruder has white hair, long on top but short at the back and sides. His features remained hidden from her eyes since he still had his hand over his face and was facing the ground, but Arturia didn't dare to take advantage of his seemingly unguarded state. He might appear distracted and in shock, but her instinct was telling her that it was a feint.

Alarm bells kept ringing in her head, warning her that attacking him right now would be unwise.

While she was eager to take him down, Arturia was no fool. She didn't get far in life to simply listen to her impatient side than to her common sense. She would not put it past him to take advantage of her initiative in the fight, turning the situation into his favor. Based on what she had seen so far, the intruder was quite manipulative like that.

Thus, Arturia stood by, alert and watchful of the enemy's movements instead of rushing in to attack.

A few seconds only passed by as she mused over her assessment, then the intruder began to move.

"Prepare yourself." Arturia warned, tightening her grip on the handle of her sword. "I presume that this is where the difficult part comes."

"Got'cha." Arash noted, shifting his stance as he readied his bow.

The intruder straightened his posture, standing upright before he pulled his hand away from his face. The towering coffin cast a shadow over his head, creating an ominous effect, but with perfect sight, the two retainers had no trouble seeing the face of their mutual target, saving his features into memory.

The intruder took no notice of this, stepping forward and out of the shadows as he stood in front of the coffin.

"Ahaha, I had hoped that it wouldn't come to this. Just so you know, those bullets are quite limited in quantity." Archer smiled depreciatingly, shaking his head lightly in disappointment. "I suppose I can't do this half-heartedly. Hmph, very well then…"

With that said, Archer lifted his right hand and tore off the cloak from his person, revealing his full appearance to them as he chucked the cloak away to the side without so much as an afterthought.

The intruder was a man in his early fifties, much to their mild surprise.

He has a pale complexion, cheeks slightly sunken, and was 5'9 tall. He has a lean physique, but seemed to be nimble enough to handle himself in combat. His features was similar to someone bearing European descent, most probably British judging on his accent. His white hair was swept back with a single strand hanging over his right dark gray eye, and he also has a mustache.

He was attired in a white formal shirt with slightly puffy sleeves and a high collar, a maroon vest with a red cravat on his neck, black trousers with pinstripes and gold accents on either sides of the leg, and a pair of black formal shoes. Covering his hands were a pair of black gloves, but the two retainers did not paid any attention to his attire other than mild interest.

Instead, their gazes met his dark gray eyes head on, noting the gold halos in his pupils.

Archer has the appearance of a dapper older gentleman with a hidden agenda

He has the bearings of someone dignified and charismatic, but the heartless and cruel glint in his eyes made him look evil and eerie to an observer's eye. The golden halos in his pupils emitted an odd light that can render someone to cower and feel dread should he set his sights upon them.

Arash and Arturia, however, did no such thing. Instead, they glared back at him, undaunted by his intimidating appearance and uncanny aura.

The older gentleman noticed this and simply chuckled in amusement, which sounded ominous when it came from him.

"So, shall we continue?" Archer asked, lips pulled back into a small sinister smile.

With that signal, the three reengage into combat.

…

* * *

…

[…**The Watch – Underwater Headquarters **…]

'_Bloody hell_…' Hadrian cursed in his mind.

He didn't need to turn around to see his companions' reactions.

The silence in the room alone was enough for him to know that everyone were speechless by the current events, except for him and the two retainers by his sides. Unlike the others, Kieran and Dia were composed and relaxed, observing the conflicts with narrowed eyes.

The two servants had been through enough stuff to simply gape and question reality. Instead, he felt that they were more surprised by the new enemy servants and concerned for his other retainers.

"Boss…" Kieran said lowly, his amber eyes darkened as he watched the battles with a stoic expression.

"I know. But, it's not time yet…" Hadrian replied calmly, knowing what his retainer wanted to say.

With his retainers placated for now, the young magus returned to his thoughts.

He had already suspected that the intruders were servants. It was not a difficult assumption to make, in all honesty.

He already had entertained such a possibility when Arash reported to him of their encounter with an unknown presence yesterday when they visited one of the murder locations. The unknown spells casted upon the cloaks might have given him a bit of trouble, but the way the intruders' managed to keep up with his retainers made it easier for him to reach such a conclusion.

It was an unsettling thought that kept bothering him throughout the day, but he was not surprised as it was eventually confirmed in front of him.

Also, he noticed the runic schemes on the cloaks through the monitors, and Hadrian felt that he had seen them before in the past.

He just couldn't remember where and when he did, for the life of him.

Moreover, what surprised him were the three intruders' identities.

The moment the cloaks were discarded and their faces were revealed, Hadrian didn't waste a second as he tasked the Moon Cell to collect all information it could dug up about them. Information was precious and plays an important role in battles, and it was a habit that was pounded in Hadrian's head time and time again. One of the main components he managed to survive the Holy Grail war.

It didn't took the automaton more than a few seconds to report to him its findings, and what Hadrian discovered made him realized how dire the situation truly was.

Because the intruders were Heroic Spirits, information such as their myths and legends were simply easy for the Moon Cell to find. The alien artifact's only true objective was to record everything that happened on earth. However, it was their true identities, capabilities and current circumstances that caused him to feel as if he was in a Holy Grail war once again.

The Heroic Spirit in the west was a hero from the Greek myths, whose legends had spread far and wide across the world. His true name was '**Alcides**', but that was only the name that he was known by when he was still a mortal. Alternatively, he was more famously known as '**Heracles**', the demigod who had been gifted with immortality by the Greek gods for his heroic deeds and more.

The one in the south was not a hero, but the opposite, an anti-hero, whose deeds (or in his case, misdeeds) were well-known throughout all of Europe. The old man in the suit's true name was '**James Moriarty**', the '**Emperor of the Criminal World**'. He was usually known as a genius in mathematics and considered as the greatest rival of **Sherlock Holmes**, the great (in)famous detective.

While these two servants were new and notably powerful in their own right, Hadrian was more intently focused on the last one that Medusa, Astolfo and Yan were battling.

'_You again_…' Hadrian frowned at the bloodstained knight.

Having encountered the knight not so long ago, he already knew of the white-haired servant's true identity.

The bloodstained knight in question was Lancer, whose true identity was the infamous Romanian King of the past, '**Vlad III**'.

Vlad III was known as the '**Prince of Wallachia**', a famous hero turned monarch in the history of Romania. However, he was more well-known by the name of '**Dracula**', the '**Lord Impaler**'.

After viewing the man's background, Hadrian can't help but conclude his life as tragic in every sense of the word.

The Vlad III in the automaton's records was the real man, who was the model for the legend of Dracula.

Many sources had depicted him as a fiendish tyrant, whose brutality and lust for blood in battle was boundless. But, according to the actual information that the automaton provided to him, the man was a well-respected and noble warrior, who had rebuilt and maintained the kingdom of Wallachia as well as became the shield of the Christian world against the threat of the Ottoman Empire.

He had a very clear sense of justice yet was also brutal, having executed about one fifth of the population of his country throughout his life. His homeland, Wallachia, was a small country stuck between the large nations of Turkey and Hungary. He led a tragic life, during which he murdered his father, buried his older brother alive, and went to war against his younger brother.

His war against the Turkey was a desperate battle that included guerilla warfare and scorched earth tactics, and several times, he left mountains of Turkish enemy soldiers he impaled. He was captured in Hungary due to political circumstances, and spent twelve years in prison. Then, in 1476, he turned his back on Orthodox Church and converted his country to Catholicism.

It was also that same year that he died in battle against the Turkish army and his younger brother, Radu, due to his nobles' betrayal at the age of 45 years old.

And so, the name Dracula, once the name of a proud family worthy of honor and respect, became one given to a monster whose past had been grossly distorted as a result of his actions in his mortal life. The inevitable distortions and exaggerations of scholars throughout the centuries was unable to wholly cover the well-documented horrors and atrocities committed by his direct command.

Although Vlad III was seen as a hero and savior to some, the lengths he went to preserve the independence of Wallachia and to repel the Turk had forever painted him as an incarnation of satanic evil on earth. The man's guerilla tactics were the reason for his many successes against a demonstratively superior force, yet he was repaid with treason and slayed by his own allies in the end.

As someone who had been a king and led a great nation through war, he understood the choices Vlad had made.

The young heir may not have gone as far as Vlad did, but there were times that Hadrian had been close to make such decisions. It was only thanks to the guidance of the seven astrals and the help of his subjects that Hadrian had managed to keep Lucis (and his people, by extension) safe for many years from the tyrannical advances of Nifleheim and its despicable emperor.

Without question, he held great respect for Vlad III for he was a man of true honor and never hesitated in battle to protect his beloved nation.

The one main thing that held him back from showing it outright, however, was the fact that Vlad and his female master, Run Ru, met him as enemies during the Moon Holy Grail war. Like with the rest, the memories of intense encounters that he and Arturia went through against Vlad and his master were still fresh and quite unforgettable.

After sensing such bloodlust from the bloodstained knight via first contact, Hadrian had been almost afraid to step out of the Private Room and throw in the towel.

It was only due to his desire to survive through the war and Arturia's faith in him that made him moved forward and swallow down his fear. Long story short, he and Arturia won against Lancer (Vlad III) and Run Ru during the fifth round of the Elimination Battle. They moved on to the next round, while the latter pair were forcefully deleted by the automaton for losing.

Such were the strict rules of the Moon Holy Grail war.

Seeing how the bloodstained knight looked unhinged, even when he was surrounded by the three retainers, Hadrian reminded himself that the Vlad he was watching through the monitors was simply a different version of the original. The actual Vlad III was a noble and dignified man, this was not in question. The one he fought, the same one that was in the island, was similar, but clearly deranged.

The reason for the bloodstained knight's 'charming personality' was due to one of his skills, '**Protection of the Faith**'.

Said skill was an ability bestowed upon those who have sacrificed themselves for what they believed to be for the greater good. Although obstinately a form of divine protection, it does not necessarily meant that one received the blessings from the gods. Instead, it was a manifestation of one's absolute faith and self-righteousness.

The glaring downside of having such a skill was that the more powerful the ability was, the more detrimental the effect it would have on one's sanity and personality.

Thus, when he learned the details of said skill, Hadrian couldn't help but pity him and how the world dealt him with a bad hand.

At first, he had thought that the reason why the servant he met during the war was already the way he did (deranged and downright murderous) was due to the anger and disappointment he felt before he died, presuming that Vlad's grudges had somehow carried over even as his spirit entered the Throne of Heroes.

But Hadrian was proven wrong, eventually realizing that the bloodstained knight's mind and personality took a harsh toll was due to the skill in question.

'_He gets to enjoy the benefits of the skill, but at the cost of his sanity. Tragic, really_…' Hadrian mused, huffing in resignation.

Taking his mind off the deranged knight, the young magus focused on the matter at hand.

While it was concerning that the intruders turned out to be actual servants in the flesh, especially the re-emergence of one mad knight, what was more important was for him to make an assessment of the situation. It would be unacceptable for him to stand by and watch, while most of his retainers were out in the island and doing their best to follow his command.

His servants would need all the help they can get, considering who they are up against.

Watching the individual battles with a critical eye, Hadrian began to make his observations.

First, he started to make comparisons of the three battles occurring in the island, assessing who was in real danger between the three groups of his entourage.

Scáthach and Charles seems to be doing quite well against Alcides. They had a rough start, but were performing well enough to contend with a top servant, despite the pressure. Although, after seeing the two retainers' efforts, it was more like Scáthach was the one between them who was strong enough to go toe to toe with the enemy. Charles was just doing his best to keep up with her momentum.

Hadrian can trust Scáthach to keep an eye on Charles throughout the fight.

Sometimes, the cheeky retainer has the tendency to overexert himself during intense fights. But with Scáthach present, Charles was in good hands.

Arturia and Arash were also doing quite well, executing a perfect level of teamwork as they go against Moriarty. The enemy was an Archer class and held the advantage of long range attacks, but this was curtailed by Arash's presence, who kept assisting Arturia in the sidelines while she goes and initiate close range encounters, which was something Moriarty seemed to hate.

The fabled criminal mastermind would often resort to tricks and feints, trying out new methods to get away from Arturia. But Arash kept giving him a hard time with the amount of arrows that was sent in his way from time to time. Needless to say, Moriarty doesn't seem to be having a good time, judging by the small frown on his weathered face.

Hadrian sensed that he has no need to worry of their situation as well, not when they can work together like a one minded unit.

Seeing the two groups work together with their partners, Hadrian concluded that they were doing well. At least for the moment. Finally, he turned his attention to the last group, which were Astolfo, Yan and Rider. The flow of their teamwork was still smooth and they seemed to be contending against the bloodstained knight well enough.

That was, however, slowly being overcome as the seconds pass.

Even with his sanity and personality downgraded by his skill, Lancer (Vlad III) still remained to be a capable fighter. No, rather, as Hadrian continued to observe their battle, perhaps the deranged knight might even be more powerful than the one he and Arturia had defeated in the war.

Lancer (Vlad III) still appeared to have the same parameters as the one he had before back in the war. Although, his agility had changed from [E] and up to [A] rank, which was a significant boost in his opinion. Along with his agility, his magic resistance changed from [C] to a solid [B] rank. Fortunately, the rank of his Noble Phantasm, '**Kazikli Bey**', remained the same. It was still dangerous, however.

Kazikle Bey was an anti-army type Noble Phantasm. With it, Lancer can summon a large amount of black spears to skewer his enemies to death. From what Hadrian can recall, his attack radius was at one kilometer, and the maximum amount of stakes he can create out of thin air can reach up to twenty thousand (20,000).

What was dangerous with his noble phantasm was the '**Sacrifice**' curse on his target, which can cause a great amount of damage every one minute.

Hadrian remembered how Arturia nearly got killed by such a curse in the war when they were paired against Lancer and his master, Run Ru, down in the Arena. It was only by sheer luck that Hadrian managed to remove the curse effect from his servant and healed her, so that she can fight the troublesome knight at full strength.

Fortunately, after that blunder by Astolfo and Yan Qing earlier, they focused on the fight and seemed to be holding their own.

Their teamwork was preventing the bloodstained knight from using the full extent of his abilities.

By the expressions on their faces alone, Hadrian can tell that they sensed that something terrible would happen should they let the enemy Lancer continue to do what he pleased. There had been a few moments that he almost got one of them, but the other two would jump in before he could land a direct hit.

If Hadrian had anything to say about it, it would be that the chances between them seemed to be even on both sides now that all of them were focused.

Sensing the three retainers work together had put the two servants beside him at ease, for Hadrian knew they were concerned about their fellow allies. On second thought, it might just be Dia since the knight of the lance was the type to worry about others. His other servant, Kieran, not so much, considering this was Kieran he was thinking about.

If Kieran showed concern about others, it does not mean that he was worried for their well-being. Rather, it was more like he was worried that he might fight the enemy if the others get killed. Seeing as he was still Hadrian's servant, it was expected that he would need to fight if the others are gone, despite not being as commanded by the young magus as often as he did with the others.

Kieran might be keener on his survival than most, but he made a deal with Hadrian and would see it through to the end, even if it comes down to joining the fight and risking his neck in the process.

Hearing the quiet sigh of relief from Kieran, the cyan eyed magus can only shake his head at his servant's (highly possible) line of thought.

Turning his attention to a different monitor, Hadrian observed the battle between Arturia, Arash and their enemy.

Archer (Moriarty) was not much of a threat in direct combat, but in the long run, Hadrian would need to be careful with him, considering his true identity and his unnatural talent for schemes. From his knowledge of earth's history, people like that were often the most dangerous as they leave most of the hard work to their underlings while sticking to the shadows to avoid attention.

Following that train of thought, Hadrian wondered if he would need to summon Sherlock Holmes to deal with the infamous fictional criminal, seeing as the two were known to be great rivals. Moreover, he also wondered if that was even possible. But, considering Moriarty's existence, the possibility was highly likely.

'_Hmm_… _something to think about later on_…' Hadrian mused, entertaining the idea.

The last enemy servant was a different story, however.

Alcides was on a different class on his own.

All of his parameters were all either exceptionally high in rank, consisting of three [A] and two [B] ranks. His Magic Resistance was at [A] rank, and Independent Action was at [C]. His personal skills are all equally ridiculous as with the others. He has '**Eye of the Mind (True)**' at [B] rank, '**Battle Continuation**' at [A+] rank, and '**Bravery**' at a surprising rank of [E].

What was even more ridiculous about him were his Noble Phantasms, he has multiple of them.

'**King's Order: Twelve Glories**' and '**Nine Lives: The Shooting Hundred Heads**'.

The first was a manifestation of his ability to summon twelve Noble Phantasms that were the proofs of him completing the twelve labors. Although, it seemed that he was limited to using all of the items as there were only two on his person, such as '**Pelt of the Nemean Lion**' (which allows him to withstand any weapon wielded by man) and '**War God's Sash**' (increases his power via divine aura).

The automaton informed him that using more than two might cause the death of Alcides's master via insufficient magical energy. Thus, he was limited to using two.

Nine Lives appears to be a technique turned Noble Phantasm, which can be performed in various ways with a weapon or even barehanded. The range can be as occasion demands, depending on the maximum power of the weapon and the attack can go from anti-unit to anti-army, and up to sieging. It was an amazing technique that compliments the servant's prowess in battle.

Hadrian almost felt jealous.

Alcides was a renowned Greek hero, and his impressive stats and skills showed as such.

However, Hadrian found something eerily wrong about the servant in question.

He had wondered why his 'Bravery' skill was at an [E] rank, considering as this was Heracles he was talking about. The famed Greek hero possessing a low 'Bravery' rank skill, and the same one who had surpassed the twelve labors. Then, as Hadrian read the details of Alcides's stats again, he found his answer…

The servant was distorted, as in a literal manner. He even has it in the form of a skill.

'Distortion' was a skill he received as a result to the botched process of his actual. He was originally the same class as Moriarty, an Archer, but for some unknown reason, he received another class in the process, which was '**Avenger**'. Conversely, he received both classes, but he received no skills from latter and his 'Independent Action' dropped to [C] rank.

Also, Hadrian get the sense that his 'Bravery' was at [E] rank due to the forced distortion as well.

Either way, Alcides was simply too dangerous to be left alone. His retainers, Charles and Scáthach, might be doing well against him for now, but he knew that the situation could turn at the flip of a hat once the enemy servant start to use his noble phantasm. Not that he has little faith in them, but he felt that he might even have to join the two retainers to help them win against Alcides.

Suddenly, the image of a certain King of Heroes and the gifts he bequeathed upon him weighed on his mind.

Hadrian's brows furrowed slightly, his lips thinned as he thought about the two weapons that his benefactor cherished among all of his treasures combined. The idea he had once, such as him having so much power and objects of great powers, quickly became a distant afterthought as he watched Alcides fight.

'_No, not yet. Scáthach is there with Charles, her skills and abilities alone should be enough to match the likes of him. But if they do get in trouble somehow, then_…' A pair of cyan eyes narrowed as he stared at the battles through the monitors. '_How would I do it without letting that person see what I can do?_'

A familiar prick ran along the nape of his neck, causing Hadrian to pause and close his eyes briefly.

Then, he willed for the automaton to search the building. His intuition was warning him of something terrible that might potentially become dangerous soon, and his intuition had never prove him wrong. It helped him greatly to listen to his intuition and be quick on the uptake.

After a few moments, the automaton found the source and sent various images in his mind.

Someone was about to infiltrate the headquarters, that was what the automaton was telling him.

Slowly, Hadrian opened his eyes and exhaled through his nose.

Seeing how the people within the room were acting, recording and relaying reports to the Chief Director every now and then, it seemed that he was the only one aware of it for the moment. Planning on his next course of action, Hadrian came into a split but deliberate decision.

"Kieran. Dia." The young magus called, surprising the two retainers out of their reverie.

"Yes, milord?" Dia inquired in a polite tone, curious.

"Whassup, Boss?" Kieran asked.

"We are about to have an uninvited guest." Hadrian stated, smiling faintly at their alarmed expressions. He pointed an index finger upwards. "Why don't you two give them a warm up there?"

In an instant, Dia straightened his shoulders with a solemn look and gave him a small bow.

"As you command, milord." The knight of the lance said, looking calm yet determined.

"Yo, Boss, do I haf ta go too?" Kieran protested, appearing reluctant.

Hadrian almost chuckled at the amber-eyed servant's somewhat terrified façade.

It was quite obvious to him that Kieran was scared to join the fight. His speech pattern changed as well, which was an obvious hint of his inner distress.

"Go with him, Kieran." Hadrian insisted gently. "I'll pull you out if something happens."

And by 'something', he meant if his life was in danger.

The petulant pout on his Kieran's face was enough to tell him that he understood what he implied.

However reluctant and anxious his retainer may be, Hadrian has faith in him to follow through command.

…

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**Author's Note**

* * *

…

**Okay, so that's another chapter down.**

**Full of actions in this one, so I had to take my time cramming in the details in this chapter properly. Also, new characters are revealed, and I'm sure that I don't need to point out who their identities are. I know that the descriptions were enough hints to give you guys an idea of who they really are.**

**As for why I chose them, well, because they are strong and can give Hadrian and his servants plenty of trouble, in more ways than one.**

**The enemy servants' parameters were mostly the same as the one they have in canon, except for Lancer (Vlad III). His parameters is a mix of his two versions, which are (ironically) the same class. But the version in Fate/Apocrypha is faster and stronger than the one in Fate/Extra, so I mixed his profile here a bit.**

**Here, we also see how Hadrian was feeling a bit frustrated in being by the sidelines, especially when his subjects are going toe to toe with a powerful, dangerous servant like Alcides. It's only natural to feel irritated and to want to do more to help his friends.**

**But, he was split with indecision since joining the fray would allow the enemy in the shadows to see what he can do, and that's a no-no in a top-class mage textbook.**

**Now, from what I know, magi do not initiate fights unless they have what they needed to know, which is who their true enemies are and the chances of winning against them.**

**They (magi) tend to be very careful when it comes to direct confrontations, preferring to observe first before doing anything, and I'm applying this type of mindset in Hadrian since he was born in a prestigious magical bloodline, the Schweinorg. I highly doubt that Zelretch would simply let his grandson initiate fights without planning things first.**

**At least, this was only from my understanding based on what I've seen on the fate series so far. The 'knowledge is power' theme in the series has influenced me to go along with it.**

**So, Hadrian's hand is pretty tied. At least, for the moment.**

**The question is, will he make a move and reveal one of his trump cards so early in the game?**

**On a side note, I finally managed to finish the first Lostbelt! Yay! \\_(^_^)_/**

**It was fun as hell, and I'm excited to try the next ones. No wonder you guys kept asking me about it. It's only a pity that the NA version of FGO is a bit behind of the JP version when it comes to lostbelts. I would have liked it if the devs could speed up the process of translating the next Lostbelts. That cliffhanger with the first left me wanting more to play the next ones.**

**I'm on my way to finish the second, but I wish the rest of Lostbelts becomes available soon.**

**Hmm… I just noticed that I said 'lostbelt' too many times here. Oh well…**

**Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Tell me what you all think about it. I always like to hear feedback from you guys since it's one of the fun things about being a writer.**

**Also, a great thank you to those who continue to support by reading this story, despite the slow updates. I'm well aware that I haven't been updating this story regularly, but due to real life circumstances and my responsibilities, my time to write keeps getting cut down. Hopefully, I make up for that downside with these long chapters.**

**Moreover, I also hope you guys are doing okay. To those who are stuck at home, stay healthy and strong. To those who are ill, stay strong and I pray that you have a speedy recovery.**

**I'll see you all in the next chapter. Stay healthy and safe, people.**

**Adieu for now! :)**

…

* * *

**Q & A**

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…

**Robobot:**

**A** – Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! :)

As for your question, no, but the idea went through my mind before.

The spawns will make their appearance in the next chapter. Here's a hint: they look more like a creature in a movie that I've seen before.

It's actually one of my favorite movies, despite the bad reviews it got.

…

**Dxhologram:**

**A** – Yes, he does :)

And nice found, I didn't even know about that lore.

…

**Gen2324:**

**A** – Yes, it's a Phoenix Down.

As for where he got it, he found some during the time he was looking for the royal tombs in the past.

He kept all the feathers he found inside the Armiger and had kept it there ever since.

…

**Doortolight47:**

**A** – To be fair, the war he had with Nifleheim was different.

Personally, I think the grail war in Fate/Extra was a lot crueler than in any of the ones in the series.

The choice to spare the enemy or not was literally out of his hands.

Not to say that he didn't killed anyone before, but the ones that he did offed were not exactly innocent since they tried to invade his kingdom and hurt his people. What he experienced there pales in comparison to what he went through in the grail war, his desire to survive ultimately ended the lives of others, especially kids like Shinji Matou (of Fate/Extra) and Alice.

Being forced to kill people is different to killing people out of his own volition.

…

**Kensei-1085:**

**A** – Arturia, Kieran, and his other servant (the one he left at home). Zelretch has his suspicions.

As for the girls' feelings for him, he'll know eventually. In time. And it'll be most exquisite to see his reaction.

His feelings for Arturia is not yet at that phase. More like, he considers her important to him.

Hadrian is grateful to her for choosing him as her Master, so Arturia has a special place in his heart. What he feels for her is more akin to how one would feel with a great friend you would go above and beyond to save if they are in trouble. It just needs a slight push in that direction for his feelings to turn intimate.

For now though, he's not aware of her interest in him. They have been through rough times, so it's expected he would think that she cares about him greatly because he's a good friend and master, not as a potential lover. Guy died in his first life without knowing what romance was, after all.

It would be strange if he suddenly became aware of their feelings for him.

…

**fruitpunchsamurai-987:**

**A** – About that part, I think I'm going to try a different route.

I've always find it weird how Altera was there, despite the Moon Cell being an all-knowing alien artifact.

So, that idea from canon is going to be put on hold. I'm considering not following it since that part doesn't really appeal to me.

…

**Urek:**

**A** – Really? That's surprising!

I've always found their interaction funny as hell, especially Orion. I'm on my way to finishing the second Lostbelt, so I'm guessing that the Lostbelt the idiot duo are in is probably in the last then?

If so, I look forward in playing that Lostbelt.

Oh, since you (most likely) have an account in JP version, can I ask you something? Why Caenis is such an ass?

Don't give me spoilers about the Greek Lostbelt, but I just want to know about that bastard. I don't like hating on something without reason, so I'm asking why he's (she's) like that. Also, I just can't seem to take him (her) seriously when she got those rabbit-like ears on the side of head. Rather, it's like she's a cockroach I want to step on and don't want to take bullshit from.

This big update we got from the devs left me with a desire for more options to respond and talk shit to her for even daring to show up on my screen.

Really hated it that the responses are still quite limited to one or two.

…

**Shiroyasha Rises:**

**A** – Yup! :)

Hadrian got loads of Phoenix Feathers in the Armiger Arsenal.

He travelled throughout Eos and found phoenix tuffs along the way, which I'm sure you've read from this chapter.

…

**Anyways, that's all for now.**

**See you all in the next chapter! :D**


	15. Chapter 14 — An Unexpected Outcome

...

**Well, hello and here we are again with a new chapter.**

**Sorry for being MIA for two months. There were complications that came up in my life and needed my utmost attention. My parents both got the seasonal flu, my brother was waiting for his test result for the coronavirus (he came up negative in the end), and I also got sick (just got better myself), so the delayed update couldn't be helped then.**

**I'm better now though, so, hopefully, I'll be able to update again soon.**

**Anyways, I thank you all for your patience and continued support in looking out for this story.**

**But, enough of my rant. I'll leave you guys be with this new chapter, so enjoy! :)**

…

* * *

…

"Speaking"

'_Thoughts_'

"**Spells**" or "**Abilities**"

*** Sound Effects ***

**[ Moon Cell ]**

…

* * *

** Chapter 14 – An Unexpected Outcome**

* * *

…

"Can't believe I'm about to do this…" Kieran groaned, clearly reluctant.

"Stop with the complaints, Kieran." Dia scolded. "We have our orders."

"Ugh… fiiiiine." The amber eyed servant sighed, then muttered. "You're such a straight ass to authority, Dia."

Dia paid his muttering no attention.

Instead, he kept his attention to the front as he walked one step ahead of him.

That suited Kieran just fine.

One might think that the knight of the lance was giving the tan skinned servant the cold shoulder, but in truth, Diarmuid was simply in his combat-ready state. The prideful knight was normally calm and relaxed to hang around with in most circumstances, but when ordered by their Master, a solemn expression would be present on his face.

The same one that he was wearing from the moment they exited the control room.

A few minutes later, the pair stopped in front of the see-through doors of an elevator.

The two male servants stared at it for a few seconds before Dia turned his head to look at Kieran, who wore a strained expression, as if he ate sour lemon.

"Come on, you." Dia frowned, gesturing for the other servant to get in.

"Yeah, yeah…" Kieran scowled, scratching the back of his head.

The amber eyed servant moved inside, plopping his arse down on one of the cushioned seats within the moving compartment.

The elevator was not an ordinary one. It was too large and furnished to be compared to the elevators seen in modern buildings. The surroundings walls were also made of see-through fiber glass, which was reinforced with magecraft. But, like most elevators, it was equipped with speakers as a soothing classical music played in the background.

The doors closed with a soft chime once Dia went inside and pressed on a button.

Kieran huffed to himself, ignoring the bronze eyed knight who stood near him with his arms over his chest.

Seeing the sea animals play around through the glass without care, Kieran envied their blissful ignorance of the dangers in the world. Realizing that negativity had taken hold of his mind once again, he took a deep breath to calm his nerves. The classical music playing in the room had helped him relaxed somewhat, distracting from his doubts.

'_Might as well check my equipment_…' Kieran mused.

He patted the side of his left rib where his weapon was holstered. He reached in with his right hand and grabbed it by the handle, feeling the familiar weight settle in his hand as he took it out. Inspecting the gun in his hand, Kieran was reminded of the moment when he received it from his Master.

The gun was based on a .500 magnum, but heavily modified. It has a black chrome and gold color scheme. The firearm's design was a mix of old-world craftsmanship and modern technology. It has a black rubber grip, a long round frame, adjustable rear and front sight, muzzle brake and a cylindrical barrel that can hold up to seven rounds capacity.

The customized firearm may appear ordinary in the eyes of most people, but in reality, it was heavily modified with magecraft.

'**Dooley**', the name of his firearm, had been equipped with a solid set of spells, such as a few old runes inscribed by the old man (Zelretch), some reinforcement spell (to maintain the gun's durability), a bit of time manipulation (to replenish ammo without the need to reload), and ammo alteration (to change the effects of the projectiles).

The ammo was not exactly actual 'bullets', as in the metallic kind, but a magical energy in the form of one. The firearm was equipped with the option for Kieran to choose to fire the 'bullets' in a straight, classic fashion or to shoot with a bullet spread effect. The gun was well-thought out, seeing as his master and the old man casted a recall spell, so that it will return to him always in case he lost it.

It was a good thing that it had such a useful function, considering as Kieran had lost the gun once when his usual (severe) bad luck reared its ugly head and dropped it in the pit of shit by accident. That was one of the times Kieran truly had an appreciation for the benefits of magecraft, despite the intricacies that came with it.

While his master had cleaned the gun for him, Kieran had to (unfortunately) endure the bouts of laughter from his fellow retainers that time, much to his annoyance.

His firearm was also a sibling to the one that Hadrian made long before they met. Said weapon was a lot more destructive in power and was actually the original model for Dooley. Although, the firearm was often kept in storage as his master rarely uses it, seeing as he already had two mystic codes that were more in tuned to his magecraft.

Looking at the firearm in his hand, Kieran remembered the day he received the weapon in question.

Back then, Kieran had informed Hadrian that he was weak, even by normal standards of most servants.

The day after he made the contract with Hadrian, the latter gave him a weapon (which was the gun) and advised him to take shooting lessons, including close combat techniques to raise his chances in a fight. Kieran did so, with great reluctance and doubt in himself. He was not exactly the type to improve himself in combat, preferring to remain the way he is, despite his weaknesses.

However, after a few months of diligent training, Kieran was glad that he agreed to it after he found out that trouble always seemed to follow his Master everywhere he went. No, rather, it was more like trouble would come in the form of assignments and his Master would accept to resolve them.

As the heir to Schweinorg house, Hadrian bears a great responsibility to evaluate situations that can possibly affect the world and mankind. It was a duty that his Master's grandfather, Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg, shouldered on his own the moment he achieved the impossible (acquiring the Kaleidoscope, that is).

As one of the retainers, Kieran and the others were duty-bound to accompany their Master on his 'missions'.

…which just royally sucked in his opinion.

Of course, the young Master would never force them into anything he and the others don't want to do. Hadrian had always been courteous of their feelings, despite how cheesy it may sound. Yes, the young mage has three command seals that he can use at his disposal anytime, but due to his noble character, he would never resort to such a trick.

If Kieran and the others doesn't want to follow his orders, the young Master would respect their wishes, but then comes the unexpected downside.

Hadrian would be the one to do it instead of forcing them, which would often surprise Kieran and the rest.

During the time they spent with him, Kieran and the others realized that their Master was someone unafraid of getting his hands dirty. They all discovered as such when they saw the things he had went through in the grail war, but it had shocked them that the young mage was capable of brutality and ruthlessness, despite his delicate and striking appearance.

Such was the effects of the brutal event upon their Master's state of mind.

The grail war made him suffer just as much as it had made him stronger, which often caused his retainers to worry over him. Kieran himself didn't care much about Hadrian right when he agreed to be one of his retainers, but over time, once he realized how much freedom and leniency he was given, Kieran couldn't stop himself from caring about his Master's safety.

Thus, Kieran did his best to improve his combat prowess and help Hadrian as much as he could, despite his great reluctance to fight.

Truthfully, he would rather dump all the hard work to his fellow retainers than do it himself.

But since his Master had spoken up and gave him an order, one that Kieran was always welcome to refuse if he really wanted to, the amber eyed servant forced himself to get off his behind and move to follow his king's order. Yes, Kieran knew that the young mage was reincarnated, but it was a well-kept secret that only a handful in the group know of.

It was a sensitive subject that was really not open for idle discussion.

The young mage respect each of their privacies and had no desire to openly talk about their past, which was one of things that Kieran and the others admire about him. It was a kind gesture that Kieran and a few others returned by not uttering a word about his past life to the rest of the group, though his present life was an exception.

Not that the young mage was aware of being gossiped by his servants behind his back.

It was rather amusing to Kieran, in all honesty.

His Master had been born a King in his previous life, and died as one in a grand heroic fashion. Then, he was reborn in a different world and later designated as a king once again. The only difference is that his Master was selected as a king by an alien artifact and had no citizens to guide to a better future this time, only his subjects and family knew of his otherworldly kingdom inside the moon.

The young mage just seemed incapable of escaping his title as King, or the kind related to monarchy at least.

Hell, even the Mage's Association bestowed upon him quite a grand title, the '**Crown Prince**', for his amazing talent for magecraft and the grand achievement of emerging victorious from the grail war, which only a handful of individuals in the organization knew about. The subjects related to the last war was kept as a tight-lipped secret, as it was ordered by the higher-ups of Clock Tower.

If that was not irony, then Kieran doesn't know what was.

"Funny how life works out…" Kieran huffed in amusement.

Dia, who heard his muttering, turned to look at him.

"What is?" The knight of the love spot asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Hm? Oh, nothing. Just the Boss, that's all." Kieran said as he idly laid the gun on his lap.

"What about milord?" Dia asked out of curiosity.

Aware that he needed to tread around the conversation carefully, Kieran kept himself cool and unperturbed, maintaining his gaze on the gun across his lap.

"Just recalling the day I got this gun." Kieran answered in a bemused tone. "It's almost as if the Boss had already expected I would join the group."

That day, Kieran expected an unfair and nonchalant treatment from Hadrian.

The amber eyed servant was not exactly optimistic when it comes to expectations in life. His view of the world had long been tainted with utmost negativity, no thanks to what he went through when he had been alive. Needless to say, Kieran was the type to always expect the bad things in life and never the good ones.

It was why when his master met him and took him in, treating him as part of his family, Kieran made the decision to assist him in any way he possibly can.

He might be the weakest in the group, but almost none of them had the advantage that Kieran has, which was his loyalty to Hadrian. Wherever the wind may blow for his Master, Kieran would stand by his side. Even if the young mage start a killing spree of innocent people, Kieran would gladly join him if it makes him happy.

Kieran was broken out of his reverie when he heard Dia speak.

"Ah, if I recall correctly, that weapon's name is Dooley, yes?" The knight of the love spot said as he glanced at the firearm.

"Yeah…" Kieran nodded his head slowly.

"And milord was the one who named it, yes?" Dia asked next.

"Yeah, what about it?" Kieran frowned slightly, curious as to where he was going with the topic.

"In case you didn't know, I'm from Ireland, Kieran." Dia smiled knowingly as he continued. "Dooley means 'black hero' in my homeland."

Dark amber eyes blinked in surprise by the explanation, causing Dia's smile to widen as he saw his reaction.

"For milord to name that weapon as such, it's quite fitting, no?" Dia said with a chuckle.

Kieran frowned, feeling a bit annoyed by the amused look on the knight's face.

"No, not really." Kieran denied, his tone nonchalant. "In case ya'll haven't noticed, I ain't a hero nor do I intend to be one."

"Oh? Why are you here with me then, Kieran?" Dia asked in retort, quirking a brow for emphasis.

By his response, Kieran went silent, but it was enough for Dia to guess what he was thinking as he continued on.

"I know that you could have just stayed behind in the control room where it was safe, and yet here you are." Dia gestured to him with his hand. "Accompanying me to battle and following the command of our mutual lord nonetheless. For all your words and displays of negativity, you act how a Heroic Spirit should be."

Having enough of his assessment, Kieran scoffed and turned his gaze to beautiful underwater view, unconsciously gripping the handle of the firearm a bit tighter than usual.

"Yeah, keep talking shit, I just might up and leave you here, ya knight-bastard." Kieran growled, resisting the urge to shoot the curly haired imbecile.

Knowing that he overstepped his bounds, Dia simply shook his head and chuckled in amusement.

They both turned their heads to the speakers, hearing a female robotic voice announcing that they have arrived to the top.

When the doors opened, Dia walked ahead for a few steps but stopped and glanced over his shoulder to look at Kieran, who stood up from his seat and holstered his weapon.

"Bit of advice, Kieran. From one retainer to another, do not let the past taint the life you made for yourself in the present." Dia stated, his tone confident and calm. "Whatever happened to you in the past should stay there. Let it rest before it eats away at you and ruins your life all over again."

With that said, the handsome knight of the love spot turned on his heel and left the spacious elevator, leaving Kieran to look on after his retreating form.

Processing his parting words, Kieran sighed as a small frown settled on his face.

"As if I didn't know that…" He mumbled, sounding oddly resigned.

Sometimes, Kieran really hates being seen through easily, particularly by stuck-up knights.

…

* * *

…

After reviewing their strategy, Dia left Kieran inside the building on top of the floating platform.

In consideration to Kieran's capabilities, their Master (Hadrian) proposed a simple, easy plan for them to follow. Since Dia was more powerful than Kieran (in most aspects), he would be the one to face their enemies outside while the latter himself would remain inside to serve as a last line of defense in the case some stragglers manage to get pass Dia.

The only way to gain access below the underwater headquarters was to use the elevator. Thus, Kieran was the one assigned to guard the entrance.

The amber eyed servant didn't know what to feel about that at first, but he went along with their Master's plan after a few complaints.

Their young master informed them that the incoming intruders were humans, highly trained in combat and modern weaponry but mortals nonetheless. Two servants would be enough to handle a group of humans, even if one of them was neither powerful nor skilled based on the normal standards of Heroic Spirits.

A loud sneeze echoed from the building, causing Dia to pause for a moment before he continued his trek to the exit.

As he did so, he mused over his parting words to Kieran.

"Let the past rest, huh…" Dia muttered, a thoughtful look on his face. "Easier said than done."

Even though he said such a thing to Kieran, Dia felt that he should be the one to follow his own advice thoroughly.

Originally, it was his liege who gave him the advice after knowing his true name. His Master was familiar with myths and legends, particular stories with heroes in it. The young magus even admitted it was a habit that he developed during the grail war, which the retainers understood. Diligently gathering information on the enemy was half of the reason why he won the brutal event.

Thus, it was no surprise when his master had easily discern his true identity.

Despite his young age, Hadrian was perceptive enough to tell that Dia often thought of his past, subtly inviting the Fianna knight to share his burden with him in times of privacy whenever it was only the two of them. It was something that Dia was honestly touched by, considering as he rarely had such genuine moments of man-to-man talk in the past.

He had some with his previous lord, but after certain things occurred, it was no longer possible to return to such moments. Even if it was, the events that followed between him and his previous lord will never be erased. His sin was deemed too grievous for his previous liege to merely accept and forgive, this Dia knew. Thus, rekindling his bond with him was naught but wishful thinking on Dia's part.

It was why, when he felt a link from his place in the Throne of Heroes, Dia wished to serve his new master as a true knight.

When Dia informed him of his wish, Hadrian didn't bat an eye and merely took in his words with utter calmness, which truly surprised Dia.

Most people would have laugh at his desire to serve a new lord as an honorable knight, considering as people of the modern age often look down on chivalry, but not his current master. No, instead, he took his words with a solemn aura that was rarely seen in young men like him. Clearly, the young mage was a different breed from the rest that Dia had seen in most people.

With Hadrian as his new liege and his acceptance to his strange wish, Dia felt that the world had given him a break.

He remembered some of the previous masters he had served in the past, and even he could be honest with himself by admitting that his current master was one of a kind, a unique cut above from the rest. His young liege was similar to his previous lord in some ways, but highly different in most. He may be young, but he was calm, wise, just, intelligent and highly charismatic.

His previous lord can be quite arrogant at times and, sometimes, inconsiderate, but not his current master.

His current master was different, literally the opposite of his previous lord. And most importantly, his current master is a king, as in a literal sense. Not only was he a king ruling an otherworldly kingdom hidden inside the moon, but has the character, heart and presence of a great one as well. Such qualities simply made Dia feel honored to be one of his retainers.

It was one of the reasons why Dia felt to return his master's kindness and consideration to his well-being by serving him as a knight the best he could.

Although, there were some moments when Dia felt his knightly ways can be a bother.

Such times when he was up against people who does not care for an honorable battle. His master had already educated him that there are such people that exists in the modern age, and the ones who are about to trespass into the Watch were such people, which brought a small dilemma inside him.

While he understood to insist on an honorable battle with the intruders was foolhardy on his part, Dia still felt that he should uphold his pride as a knight.

'_But what happens if my enemies don't want to?_' His mind asked.

Dia's forehead wrinkled as he frowned, a bit distressed by the train of thought before he shook his head as he felt frustration bubble up from his chest.

It was bad enough that he was feeling contrite over a simple manner, but it was worse for him to feel distressed when he was about to enter into combat. If the others were here, they would most likely scold him for being distracted, while some – particularly Astolfo and Charles – would tease him and tell him to loosen up.

Dia smiled wryly at the thought of his fellow retainers.

Great allies they were, but they can be bothersome when they want to be sometimes.

The unnaturally cold air hit him in the face as he stepped outside of the building, making him pause his walk as he felt the small hairs on his body rise up right after the impact.

Inwardly, Dia felt glad that the formal black suits he and the other wore were equipped with weather proof magecraft. Otherwise, the freezing cold air would have turn any of them into a living popsicle in minutes just by standing outside of the floating platform. The cold air within the bounded field that surrounds the island and the Watch was simply that cold.

He remembered that their attires were called '**Formal Wears**', which were clothes embedded with magecraft.

Dia and his fellow servants had decided to wore their black suits since their liege had warn them of entering into possible combat, which was an assumption that turned out to be quite right. The precast spells embedded upon the suits were simple but made of high-quality: weather-proof, reinforcement (to resist physical and magical attacks), and presence concealment (to avoid magic detection).

The suits can still be destroyed with magic, but only by stronger spells. '**Presence Concealment**', on the other hand, was usually a class skill that belong to the Assassin type of servants. However, his liege lord had managed to discover an ingenious method in how to transfer the class skill into a Formal Wear.

Dia doesn't know how the young mage had done it, considering as he was a knight, not a mage. And knowing mages, they have their secrets.

But, he did recall him saying that his master had managed to do so with the automaton's help.

Nevertheless, Dia and the others found his achievement to be noteworthy, especially for someone at his age. Clearly, his master had truly earned the title '**Crown Prince**' by his talent and knowledge of the intricacies of magecraft on his own effort, even if he was humble about it. The young mage might have the advantage of being born in a prestigious magical house, but it was clear he was gifted.

There were a great many geniuses from different houses, but his master was undeniably an exception among the rest.

Speaking of which, Dia felt the familiar sensation open in his mind, signifying that the mental connection he has with his young lord was being opened.

'_Dia, ready yourself. Your company has arrived_.' He heard his liege's voice.

After relaying what he wanted to say, the mind link was cut and his thoughts was his own again.

The wavy haired knight closed his eyes briefly, taking a deep breath of the crisp, cold air before exhaling it from his lungs. Idly, as he opened his eyes and watched his breath turned into a visible large puff of mist, Dia silently marveled at the fact that he was once again in the living.

Being a Heroic Spirit was a bit jarring to him at first, but after he was given a new body to use (courtesy of his master's grandfather), doing the simple things in life had never been so amazing for him. It took some time to get used to eating, bathing, and sleeping, but it was routine he and the others had easily fell under as the time passed.

His musings came to an abrupt halt when the quiet humming sounds of an engine entered his ears, making him glance to the far off distance where he heard the noise came from.

With the intruders in sight, Dia sighed and walked to the center of the platform with his two clothed spears at his sides. He stood and waited by the space where a wide helipad was located, eyes closed and a serene expression on his face even as many loud footsteps padded against the black cemented ground.

Even as he sensed a group of people stop and positioned themselves a few feet away from him, Dia remained still and silent as a statue.

Until…

***CLICK***

***CLICK***

When he heard a round of clicks, Dia slowly opened his eyes and stared at the sight before him.

A group of people stood in front of him, with their black military-like attires and firearms aimed at him. Some were kneeling on the floor to better their accuracy, but most were standing up. Their heads were covered by black helmets that made it difficult for him to discern their faces with his sight alone, but that was fine with Dia as there was something else he considered important.

And that was to give them the option to surrender.

Even though they were his enemies, Dia felt that he should at least be courteous enough to provide them the chance to avoid fighting. As a knight, his pride demanded that he do so.

From the corner of his mind though, he can already imagine the groans and irritated of some of his fellow retainers' would be wearing on their faces should they happen to discover what he was about to do. While some of his allies might be understanding to his feelings, there are some who does not since they were not knights nor had valiant characteristics to share such sentiments with him.

(In some parts of the world, several servants who are contracted with Hadrian sneezed at the same time,)

Unperturbed by the fifteen green laser sights aimed at him, Dia took a step forward and spoke in a loud, clear voice.

"Greetings, my name is Lancer and I shall be your foe today." He introduced himself confidently, mindful to use his class name instead of his real one. "You are all in violation of trespassing on private property, and thus, must be punished accordingly. But, I shall give you the option to leave this place, safely and with your life. If you choose to do so, I will not give chase. If you do not, I –"

***BANG***

***BANG***

***BANG***

Loud gunshots interrupted his speech, causing Dia to blink as he felt a few bullets pelt against the surface of his reinforced suit.

'_Suppose that is a no then_…' Dia frowned.

When the intruders noticed that he was unharmed and began to aim all of their weapons at him, Dia narrowed his eyes into a solemn glare and readied himself for combat.

With an experienced hand, he twirled the red spear in his right and dashed through the rainstorm of bullets. He used his great speed to run and twirled the spears in both of his hands to protect his body from being filled with holes and lead, moving the two spears into a blur so that no stray bullet can pass through the momentum.

Once he got close enough to the group, Dia attacked with the long red spear into a wide arc, hitting some of his enemies by their chests in the process.

Next, he leaned his head to the side, just in time to avoid a bullet that went passed his cheek. He glanced over his shoulder and turned his body around, thrusting his left arm and he was rewarded with a shout of pain as another enemy got impaled with his spear through the gut.

He pulled the spear from the dead body and dashed to his far right, avoiding the spray of bullets and two hand grenades that exploded a few seconds after he made his escape.

***BOOM***

***BOOM***

The platform shook as the explosion went off, but it remained sturdy and unmarred even as Dia went on the attack.

Dia chose a hit-and-dash strategy, using their numbers to his advantage to cause some friendly fire in their midst.

The knight of the love spot was quick and strong, as a servant of his caliber ought to be, but his enemies' quick thinking and their seamless cooperation was giving him a difficult time to end the battle as quickly as he had originally intended to. Also, as he glanced over his shoulder every now and then, he noticed that the ones he injured seemed to be getting up and rejoining the battle.

His enemies were also quick. They might not be at his level, but it was enough for him to notice the difference, further increasing his belief that his foes are truly no ordinary humans.

Such a thing should not be possible, unless something else was at work.

After hearing what happened to Scáthach and Rider, Dia realized that the intruders he was fighting off might not be the ordinary humans he had first thought of.

'_Milord will need to hear about this_…'

With a grunt, Dia kicked a guy away after he made quick work of him. He was about to turn around and attack the one intruder near him when he saw the wounds he inflicted on the guy healed almost instantly before he slowly got up to his feet with the assault rifle in his hands. The cut on the cloth of his top was still there, but the large open wound was closed, as if it was never even there.

Dia was surprised for a moment, but shook it off as his current predicament demanded his focus.

He would have time to think on it later, but for now, he must concentrate on the battle and remain true to his objective.

As he continued to lay waste on his enemies left and right with his skill alone, Dia didn't noticed a small group clad in black slipped by to the side and entered the building behind him.

…

* * *

…

It had been fifteen minutes or so when Dia exited out of the building, leaving Kieran on his lonesome.

He had been relaxing by the lounge area near the reception desk, watching some gameplay videos in Utube to pass the time and to calm his nerves. It was something that he always did whenever he doesn't got shit to do before entering combat. He figured he might as well enjoy himself while he can in case something happens to him later on.

The building was curiously silent, as if abandoned. But that was understandable.

When the others blasted themselves off to the island, Edward Miles had ordered the building to be put under lockdown and commanded his employees to go below the headquarters, so that they may be safe in case something were to happen. And something did happen, the building was about to be trespassed by shitty people that his master remarked as enemies.

"And I just happen to be in this deep. Fucking great…" Kieran deadpanned.

When Kieran heard the gunshots, he instantly became alert, knowing that the time for leisure was over.

The amber eyed servant stood up from the lounge with a resigned sigh.

He pocketed his phone inside his jacket as he lazily made his way out of the lounge, shoulders slightly slouched and hands in his pocket. So focused he was in his worries, he did not even noticed there was something in front of him before it hit him, literally speaking. The lazy expression on his face quickly contorted into grimace when he stumbled into a transparent glass, face first.

He cursed as he backed away with a hand on his face, barely managing to center himself and avoid falling on his arse.

"Ugh… fucking doors." Kieran glared at the twin glass doors, which opened for him fully. "Couldn't they had made a metallic one instead of this shit?"

Resisting the urge to shoot the translucent sliding doors, the amber eyed servant walked to the center of the next room.

Behind him, the dark doors of the elevator was in sight. But Kieran paid it no mind other than a glance before he made his way to the center and stood there.

The way where Dia had exited was also the entrance to the building as well as the exit. With his position, Kieran had the advantage of seeing who would be able to get inside the premises and who will leave. But, once a fight occurred outside, Kieran was instructed to move to the main hallway where guests were received.

And now here he is, standing by on his lonesome with a hand on his holstered gun.

The main hallway was spacious and well-furnished. In the center of the room, there was a number of lights set into a straight line. The walls of the hallway were made of fine, smooth beige cement. It walls was complimented by the red carpeted floor made of velvet. The ceilings were high and decorate with beautiful carved statues that would not be out of place in an art museum.

Seeing such opulence for a simple hallway made Kieran snort in derision, which allowed him to forget his predicament for a moment.

'_Magi and their weird tastes. I can only imagine the cost to make this room_…' He thought as he inspected the ceilings.

He was brought back to reality when the gunshots became louder and numerous, accompanied by pained grunts and cries as the battle outside went on. Sensing a few unknown people approaching, Kieran turned his gaze to the entrance, just in time to see the black tinted glass doors opened automatically to admit someone.

The amber eyed servant quirked a brow when he saw a group of armed people wearing black militaristic attire with helmets rushed inside before slowing to a stop a few feet away from him. With him in their sights, they immediately pointed their assault rifles and shotguns towards him without warning.

Unperturbed by their actions, Kieran simply adjusted his stance and put a hand on his hip, leaning most of his weight on one foot than the other.

The expression on his face was the very picture of someone disinterested and bored out of his mind.

The reason for his discontent was the fact that he got scared at the thought of fighting these people earlier, only to discover then that they were no more than weaklings he can take on by himself. He is still wary at the thought of possible death at their hands, but now that they were close enough for him to sense their power, Kieran was sure he has the advantage in the upcoming fight.

'_Sides, I got the Boss to pull me out if things get messy_…' He frowned thoughtfully. '_There's one thing that's bugging the hell outta me… why do I feel some familiarity with these bastards?_'

Before he could think deeper into it, he was broken out of his reverie when the soldiers in the middle parted to make way for someone.

Said someone was an old gentleman in his late fifties, whose long gray hair fell straight down his back and has dark gray eyes. He was dressed in an all-white suit, complete with a dark crimson tie and a pair of white gloves that covered his hands. He has a pale complexion and stood a few heads taller than Kieran. Based on his aristocratic features alone, he can easily pass off as a European native.

What sparked Kieran's interest however, was the look of boredom in the old man's eyes.

The old man's eyes held a cold, unfeeling vibe similar to most magi, but the disinterested glint within them was more prominent than his own.

Silently, Kieran wondered what bored the old gentleman that much, considering as the location he trespassed was anything but. Furthermore, there was something strange about the old man standing a few feet away from him. Kieran can't put a finger on it, but he sensed something odd about old magus… something that made him different from the soldiers still pointing their guns at him.

Suspicious but focused more on the situation, he filed the thought away in the corner of his mind as he heard the old gentleman speak.

"Greetings, do you happen to know where a young mage by the name of Hadrianus Mathius von Schweinorg is?" He asked calmly.

Kieran's right eyebrow twitched in irritation.

The question was phrased in a polite manner, but the tone he used to say it was cold and snobbish, which rubbed Kieran the wrong way as he felt annoyed at the bored stare he was being given by the old man. It was as if he was nothing more than an unsightly cockroach undeserving even an ounce of his attention.

The two of them had just met and Kieran was already getting the urge to outright murder the old bastard instead of answering him.

However, he was also curious as to why the old bastard would go so far just to find his master's whereabouts.

Still, just because he was curious doesn't mean that Kieran would need to be polite to him.

To be fair, the old bastard was the rude one, giving him the attitude on first meeting, not him.

"The fuck you want, old man? Better yet, who the fuck are ya?" The amber-eyed retainer returned with a glare.

It was silent for a few moments as the old bastard simply rose a gray brow at his 'welcoming' inquiry.

Most likely surprised by his eloquent choice in words, Kieran presumed. Now that he thought about it, he does have that effect on people. Case in point, the way those three witches (Arturia, Scáthach and Medusa) always seemed to be annoyed with him nearly every time he opens his damn mouth, which was nothing new in his opinion.

With the exception of Hadrian and his family, most people don't really take well to his presence.

Even when he doesn't say anything, Kieran always seemed to bring out the worst in people. He doesn't know whether that had something to do with his personality (which, he would admit, was not the ideal kind to have to make friends), his choice of words, or simply his past altogether. Perhaps, it might even be all of the above.

Shrugging at his own train of thought, Kieran focused his attention on the old mage, who began to speak again.

"My name is Jester Karture, and I'm here to see your Master." He introduced himself in a calm, prim tone.

As the old mage did so, a quick telepathic conversation occurred within Kieran's mind as he opened the mind link to his liege.

'_Boss, this bastard wanna see ya. Response?_' The amber eyed servant asked.

'_Denied_.' His master answered with utter nonchalance.

'_So, does this mean I can kill him?_' Kieran asked, wanting clarification and permission.

'_Yes. Make sure to be thorough, so that none of them will leave here alive. Other than that, you can do whatever you want with them_.'

Briefly, Kieran closed his eyes and smiled as he felt the mind link closed.

It seemed his master was also not a fan of a certain somebody, which worked just fine in Kieran's favor. It had been a while since he was let loose, so he was looking forward to kill something to lessen the pent up stress he kept bottled up throughout the past few months. It had been one case after another, which was more of investigation than less real action.

Sparring with his fellow retainers doesn't really count as a fight, considering as he was always on the losing side. Getting serious against them would only spell his death, which had left him with no other option but to find someone to fight outside of his circle of companions. To think that one would fall right into his lap was something he considered good fortune.

Also, while he was still terrified of dying, he felt a sadistic pleasure rise up in his chest since his opponents are humans.

"I hear and obey." He muttered under his breath.

When he opened his eyes, the enemy frontline of intruders except one flinched in unison the moment they met his gaze.

But, Kieran knows that that was not the reason why they seemed wary of him now. No, it was the combination of the small black tendrils of malignant aura and the eerie smile full of malice that was on his lips that made his audience become instantly cautious of him. That, and due to the black marks that slowly and steadily began to appear on his face and other visible parts of his body.

Discerning the wariness in their body language, Kieran was pleased as it simply meant that his enemies are still human at their core.

If there was anything that he was good at, it was to kill humans.

And humans are his favorite targets to play around with whenever he was feeling the urge to kill something.

"Heh… sorry, but I'mma fraid that ain't gonna happen." Kieran chuckled, taking one step forward as he shook his head slightly. "Boss ain't much interested in gracing you bastards with his presence. As a matter o' fact, you lot will have to make do with little ol' me."

Right after he said it, Kieran lifted his left hand and snapped his fingers.

The sound echoed throughout the room, causing the intruders to jolt in surprise before they straightened their postures and aimed their guns at him again. But, with their fingers on the triggers, preparing to fire. The old mage in front of them, however, seemed unperturbed as he simply looked at Kieran with a frown.

No doubt, the old bastard sensed the activation of a bounded field around the room. It was what his Master created earlier before, though Kieran did not expect that it would be used to trap the intruders inside with him instead of keeping them out. The young magus left the activation of the bounded field in Kieran's hands, as if already expecting that the retainer would be the one to meet them.

Now with a powerful bounded field in place, none of the intruders would be able to leave without his say so.

In actuality, the mere idea of letting any of them leave was laughable to Kieran. Some of his allies might show mercy, but he was no goody-two-shoes, especially to those who were hostile to him.

Jester opened his mouth to speak, seemingly intent to continue to converse with him.

Unfortunately for him, Kieran was no longer in the talking mood.

In a blink of an eye, the amber eyed retainer crossed the distance and appeared in front of the old mage with a small smile bearing ominous intentions.

***FWIP***

***SQUELCH***

Surprise was clear on the old man's face before he found himself impaled in the heart with an odd bladed weapon that somehow appeared in Kieran's left hand. After coughing up a wad of blood, Jester Karture started to fall to the ground, face-first, after Kieran pulled out the strange-looking knife in a rough fashion.

When the body of his first victim hit the carpeted floor, the black attired soldiers snapped out of their shock.

"ARGH! YOU MONSTER!"

"FUCK!"

"SHOOT! FUCKING SHOOT!"

Shouts of curses were thrown in his way as the intruders open fire at him without care.

Kieran made himself scarce and was already standing a few meters away from them. The amber eyed servant chuckled as he watched the intruders hit their own, causing friendly fire in their midst for a few moments before they realized that he was no longer there anymore. His fun was brief as some of them were quick to notice his new location, making him go on the move.

He ran a couple of steps forward and swiped at a man with his strange knife, feeling good at the sight of his second victim bleeding profusely due to the large cut on his throat.

Sensing a few guns aimed at him from behind, Kieran used his speed as a servant to dodge the sprays of bullets, all the while firing back at them with the modified gun in his right hand. A vicious grin made its way on his lips when he saw and heard the pained cries of the ones his bullets had hit.

Feeling emboldened by the success of his kill, the amber eyed retainer turned, searching for another victim, and ran at a lone intruder, who was a bit far from the rest.

The soldier clad in black let out a gasp of surprise at his sudden appearance before a strange-looking knife stabbed him at the head, penetrating easily through the hard exterior of the helmet. When the retainer confirmed that his recent victim was dead, Kieran kicked the body away from him and reached around his back with his left hand as he turned around.

He fling his arm in one quick motion and threw a grenade at the feet of a small group of soldiers, who were running directly at him but came to a sudden halt when something landed in front of them.

Kieran chuckled and pointed his index finger at them.

***BOOM***

"Boom!" He exclaimed at the same time the grenade exploded and obliterated the intruders into small, uneven chunks.

After watching the bloody fireworks, Kieran went to work (kill) on the others.

When they realized that confronting him directly was suicidal, the rest of the black clad soldiers resorted to tricks and cohesive teamwork. Unfortunately, it was more of a spur on the moment strategy instead of a plan that was well thought out. Also, the fact that he was still a servant and they are humans made all the difference in the battle.

As a result, the remaining soldiers had put up a valiant effort in taking him down, but couldn't managed to in the end.

Needless to say, the amber eyed servant was having the time of his life by playing (killing) the soldiers left and right to his heart's content.

Kieran had been surprised by their impressive stamina and regenerative properties, but with the application of his unique magical energy (which nature was as dark as the root of true evil itself), their advantages was rendered inert and he was able to pull off his killing spree without much trouble. He can still feel the excruciating pain that comes with using his power, but it was not as bad as before.

Although, he had to wonder why their magical essence felt familiar to him for some reason. He was not exactly sure earlier, but after fighting them up close, he was damn certain now.

A concerning issue better left off pondered for later, he supposed.

Ten minutes of killing spree later, the amber eyed servant was finished with pouring out his pent-up stress on the poor soldiers.

He stopped for a moment to admire the scenery before him, holstering his weapons beside him as he looked around with a refreshing smile.

Unlike before, the spacious hallway now looked damaged. The furniture placed here and there were destroyed, along with some of the light bulbs and chandeliers. Most of the walls were riddled with bullet holes, no thanks to the intruders' firearms who fired at him out of panic. Broken glass riddled most parts of the carpeted floor.

Oh, including the blood, guts and severed body parts of his victims too.

"Still… I think I rushed this a bit." Kieran frowned, mildly disappointed when it dawned on him he doesn't have anyone to kill anymore.

***CLINK***

Kieran blinked when he heard a sound nearby, causing him to slowly turn around and direct his gaze to a white couch with bullet holes in it.

Using his magical sensory, he found a soldier hiding behind the furniture, along with several others scattered around the room. Some were playing dead, some were hiding behind a pillar and so on.

He smiled to himself, realizing with mild relief that he still had a few toys to entertain himself with.

Stalking over to one of the areas he marked where the survivors are located, Kieran whistled a jaunty tune as crossed the room, stepping over the dead body of the old mage without a care.

Once he was behind the couch, the amber eyed servant grinned widely and struck out with his free left hand, like a snake descending upon its prey, shocking the hell out of the soldier hiding behind it as he grabbed him by the back of his neck and lifted him up with one hand.

With one hand, he vaulted the soldier over his head and slammed him against the ground, making his next victim gasped from the pain.

Kieran dropped on one knee, hitting the soldier's stomach in the process as he used his weight to keep his prey out of breath and down on the floor.

"Thought you could hide, ain't ya?" He asked with a chuckle, staring with bloodshot eyes in the face of a terrified-looking soldier that he was choking.

Seeing the feeble attempts of his prey to escape his grip, Kieran simply laughed when the soldier tried to reach for his gun, only for him to be denied as Kieran threw it away. The horror in the soldier's eyes increased when the black marks upon the amber eyed retainer's body writhed, as if it was alive and thriving the longer the retainer use his dark power.

As for his soon-to-be-killer, he simply raised a brow and laughed at the terrified look on his next victim.

"Funny how you humans are scared of a small portion of this energy… when it's bastards like you that made it in the first place."

…

* * *

…

[… **The Watch – Control Room** …]

Hadrian was in a dilemma.

After spectating the battles on the island through the monitors, he switched his focus on his two other servants who were busy entertaining the intruders above. Although, while the new group of hostiles were concerning, Hadrian was not that worried about them. No, he was more concerned about that old mage, Jester Karature.

His retainer, Kieran had killed the old mage, but that was not the actual truth.

Jester was playing dead, fooling everyone in the room he was in.

The old mage didn't even seemed to care that his soldiers were getting slaughtered by the amber eyed servant, whose sadistic nature continues to show and grow the longer he played (torture) around the remaining soldiers within the vicinity. Hadrian was not overly concerned with the retainer's seemingly unusual behavior, considering as he already knew about it when they had met.

One might have been wary about his retainer's true nature, but not him.

Kieran had been upfront with him regarding his true identity when they were first discussed the conditions of his service to him. The former told him the truth, including his past, true name and so on. It was the first honest discussion they had with one another, and it was why Hadrian began to give him the benefit of doubt.

As for the reason why the retainer was behaving sadistically now, it was mainly due to his true identity.

The ancient Persian God of Darkness, '**Angra Mainyu**'. That was Kieran's true identity.

Hadrian found him by accident when he was sent to investigate an ancient castle in ruins that stood on top of a mountain in Fuyuki City of Japan.

His grandfather asked him to investigate there when the old mage had detected an unknown surge of magical energy creeping about in the mountain. He had been informed that the ruined castle once belonged to a well-known noble family with a magical bloodline, the Einzbern. But, it was destroyed during the time of when the Holy Grail wars were still active.

When Hadrian arrived to the location, all he had found was a ruined castle beyond repair, soot and ashes among the white snow.

There were scorch marks and deep gauges on the walls and ground, which were obvious signs of struggle. The automaton was also helpful enough to inform him that several battles between servants had occurred within the castle, rendering the structure to take damaged in the process. That, and a servant was the one who literally burned the castle to the ground.

Surprisingly enough, even though the building was in ruins, the Bounded Field that surrounded the perimeters of the castle was still there, albeit weakened.

The Einzbern were well-respected for their knowledge in alchemy and their unique spell-casting, but their talents lies in various branch of magecraft as well, including making custom Bounded Fields. It had been a surprise to Hadrian that the Bounded Field surrounding the castle managed to remain active for many years, despite the lack of maintenance.

Although, there were many rips in the Bounded Field, which was caused by absence of someone to keep it in check. It was also the main reason why his grandfather had managed to locate the source of disturbance from within the ruined castle back then, to which he had sent Hadrian to investigate the matter.

With Arturia in tow, Hadrian went to inside and straight to the source of the issue, but what he found was quite unexpected.

In the middle of the vast hallway of the ruined castle, there was a Holy Grail placed atop of a broken pillar. The golden chalice of the biblical myths and the source of untold brutal events was just sitting there, glittering prettily under the bright rays of sunlight, as if it was innocent from the many bloodshed.

What made the highlight of his day during that time was the rogue servant that merely strolled in to the room, as if he owned the place.

Said rogue servant was hostile, crude and bad mannered. He neither cared about other people's safety nor does he have a good moral compass, only caring about his own well-being and keeping the Holy Grail to himself. He needed it to keep himself existing in the present world, but Hadrian had told him that it was not possible.

When the former asked why, Hadrian had explained to him that the Counter Force would be sent after him since he was deemed an anomaly by Alaya.

Due to his unique position, his grandfather often acted as a liaison to Alaya and Gaia whenever the two were in a disagreement over matters that concerned humans and the world. How that had came to be, Hadrian had no idea, but what was important was that his grandfather would always be the first to handle any issues that threatened the safety of humans and the stability of the world.

In turn, it was a responsibility that was extended to the members of his family as well as those who work under him.

Thus, Hadrian had been the one sent first to test the waters, mainly due to his status as the heir to the Schweinorg house and the old mage's trust in him.

If he was unable to handle the matter, then the Counter Force would be sent to clean up the mess, which was the reason why he and the old mage had to work hard to prevent it from happening.

Of course, the rogue servant did not took to his response well, retaliating violently almost right after he explained the situation to him.

A fight broke out and the ruined castle became even more destroyed in the process. It had been a good thing that Hadrian had the foresight to raise a multilayered Bounded Field before he went inside, or the locals nearby would noticed the disturbances inside the perimeter of the barrier.

The rogue servant had put up quite a fight, despite having manifested independently.

But, his opponent that time was Arturia and she had a Master by her side. Therefore, the battle did not took any longer than a few minutes at best before Arturia had beaten soundly. He had been close to death's door at that time as well, and it was only thanks to Hadrian order that Arturia stopped before she could end his life.

At that time, Hadrian had already taken the Holy Grail, thereby cutting off the rogue servant's source of magical energy. But Hadrian also healed his injuries, which would still give him enough time to maintain his physical form before he ran out of magical energy. Although, he was restrained to the floor by Hadrian to prevent him from escaping.

The young mage didn't want the rogue servant to think about using the locals nearby to replenish his magical energy, so he had to restrain him.

With the rogue servant held down, Hadrian went and had a one-on-one talk with him.

Their talk was fruitful in the end. The rogue servant had no choice but to comply anyway, considering as he would be marked to death if he were to refuse the offer. Accepting Hadrian's offer to be one of his retainers would give him freedom to live his life peacefully, albeit chained to the former's fate.

Once a contract was made between them, Angra Mainyu became Kieran to hide his true identity. And in time, he earned the former rogue servant's trust.

Kieran was still rude and has the same devil-may-care attitude to most people, even to his fellow retainers, but around Hadrian and his family, his normally rude behavior was toned down. The servant seemed to have a soft spot for Hadrian's mother too, given the way the former tend to behaved whenever she was around.

For all of his rude attitude and derogative words, the amber eyed servant's demeanor around his mother was akin to a child behaving in the presence of a strict parent.

Not that Hadrian's mother was strict, but the metaphor was the same altogether.

Hadrian smiled faintly, shaking his head at the memories.

It was almost rather inappropriate of him to think of such times when he was watching Kieran beat the living crap out of the intruders with that disturbing smile on his face. Then again, the intruders had it coming anyways, so the young mage doesn't really feel too bad about their predicament.

'_But what to do with that guy? One way or another, he's going to make a move. It's just a matter of when he'll do it_. _Also_…'

Hadrian turned his gaze to another screen where he saw the retainers on the island doing their damn best to follow through his command.

By the look of things, it seemed that his retainers were having a difficult time accomplishing the task of rendering their foes unconscious. While his retainers are skilled and powerful in their own rights, the enemy servants held the advantage in the long run since they have no reason to hold back in the battle.

The one watching him in the shadows would probably rejoice at the mayhem their minions were causing in the island.

If the Spider awakens by the ruckus they were making, it would only be to the enemy's benefit, not to his.

Previously, Hadrian thought of joining his retainers in the island. But when Jester Karture came into the picture, he had second thoughts.

The old mage might appear human, but in reality, he was not. As a matter of fact, the one playing dead on the floor and got stepped on by Kieran was not even the interloper's true form. No, as soon as he was in sight, Hadrian had the automaton to pull up any information it had on the old mage and what he discovered honestly surprised him.

The old mage was a Dead Apostle. But, not one that was a part of the 27 Dead Apostles, which his grandfather also happened to be a member of.

After some contemplation, the theory he had once before didn't seemed to be outlandish anymore, not when he had gathered enough proof. The mysterious runic schemes drawn upon the cloaks, the enemy servants and their twisted forms, the Dead Apostle and the lack of info in the automaton's archives regarding his investigation in the abandoned manor yesterday.

All of them were connected, which leads Hadrian to one conclusion.

'_They didn't came from here_.' Hadrian summarized. '_It's the only thing that makes sense_.'

While he has yet to explore more on the Moon Cell's capabilities, there was something that he did learned about the automaton. Particularly, it's limitations.

One, despite its powerful abilities in observation and information assessment, there are still some things that the automaton was incapable of appraising. When it does, all information it had gathered on the target would be sent to the Far Side of the Moon where it would be classified as bits of data errors, to which Hadrian had to take the time to clean up in person.

The idea that he, who was once a king of a great magical nation, was rendered into a walking data cleaner for an alien artifact with artificial intelligence was not lost on him.

On a side note, that was also where he happened to walk upon a certain King of Heroes and nearly battled with him to the death.

The second limitation was that the automaton is incapable of observing other worlds.

There were some cases that it did, but only the ones that were mostly similar to the world it was currently observing. Other dimensions with too much differences to the one it was monitoring was out of its limits, which leads him to the current issue at hand. The enemy servants most likely came from a world different than his own, which was the real problem.

His grandfather was the only one he knew who can travel to different worlds, but now there was someone out there who was also capable of it.

'_Gonna have to talk to opa about it. He'll want to hear this_…' Hadrian mused, bright cyan eyes narrowing slightly. '_But first, I have to get things done here_.'

As Hadrian watched the battles continue through the monitors, an idea came to mind.

It might not be the brightest one he had before, but he was a bit desperate and pressed on time. He wanted to help his retainers, but he cannot leave Kieran and Dia here, not when they were tending to the intruders above the headquarters. Hadrian was only one person, so he can't be in two places at once. But, there was still someone who might help him.

The end of his lips curled up a bit before he closed his eyes and opened a telepathic link to a certain someone.

'… _Sorry to bother you about this, but are you busy?_'

'…_No… I am not. Why thou art ask?_'

'_I need your help on something_.'

'_Speak then_. _I shall listen to thy request first, and decide after_.'

'_Haha, thanks_.'

One minute later, Hadrian grinned wearily as he sensed the mind link closed once the conversation was over.

Then, slowly, he turned his gaze to the right side and down to his pant pocket where his hand was in. The crimson light of his Command Seals pulsed brightly before dimming as he felt one of the three sigils was used and the familiar dip in his magical reserves. He may have a near unlimited access to a vast storage of magic energy, but even he can still feel the drop when a great amount was taken.

One of his retainers, the second servant he summoned after the war, had just teleported to the island from a far distance via one of his Command Seals.

Hadrian rarely asked for that servant's help, but whenever he does, it has to be of utmost significance.

Otherwise, he would get a scolding from that weathered servant of his, which might sound tame but not exactly good to see nor experience in person.

Recalling the first time he got scolded by the servant in question, Hadrian shivered a little.

'_Not even Kieran or Astolfo would dare to bother him when he's like that, which reminds me. I should get him to scold those two. They've been on bad behavior lately_.'

Unbeknownst to him, the two servants would later lament on their horrible luck for being on the receiving end of their senior retainer's harsh lecture in the future.

After a few moments of contemplation, Hadrian sighed as he made a decision.

Nearby, the two old mages, Hugo and Edward, heard his sigh and turned to him with curiosity on their faces.

It was Hugo who voiced their mutual curiosity.

"What's the matter, young master?" The older mage asked, causing Hadrian to look at him.

"I must go above the platform." Hadrian answered, calmly glancing up the ceiling. "My two friends will need my help there."

"Er… then what about…" Edward trailed off, gesturing to the people around the control room.

Before, the control room had a bit of space, but after the alarm was sounded and the headquarters was put under lockdown, the rest of the Watch members stationed above the headquarters had been commanded to wait inside in the room along with them till the intruders were dealt with and the danger passed.

The control room was spacious, but now, there were a lot more people than there was previously.

Most of the Watch members looked nervous and scared as they watched the battles happening in the island and the building above the underwater headquarters. Although, they do still maintained their professionalism as they worked together with the core members of the control room, assisting them with technical issues here and there.

Knowing that he couldn't leave the people here without an assurance, Hadrian went to Hugo and stood in front of him.

Before the latter could open his mouth to ask, the young mage calmly lifted his right hand up and plucked his fluffy white familiar from his comfortable nest (which happens to be on his master's head).

"Kyu?" The white fluffy familiar cooed.

The pudgy familiar did not even resisted as his master grabbed him with both hands and faced him.

"Okay, Ryu. You stay here, and protect these people in my place." Hadrian instructed, looking at the small familiar in the eyes. "If something happens, you know what to do. Got it?"

"Kyukyu!" The familiar chirped with a smile, his thin white furry tail swishing in confirmation.

Hadrian smiled at his familiar's enthusiasm to follow his order, then he turned towards to Hugo, who looked surprised at his sudden attention.

"Do you happen to have a free chair here?" The young mage asked.

"Um… why do you ask?" Edward inquired, curious as to why he would need one.

"Oh, just something." Hadrian answered with a mysterious smile and twinkle in his bright cyan eyes.

For some odd reason, Hugo and Edward felt that the expression the young mage wore in that moment was nearly identical to the one that their liege lord would often wear, which was whenever the old Wizard Marshall felt like executing a prank that would give many mages headaches just by witnessing it.

…

* * *

…

Meanwhile, above the underwater headquarters of the Watch…

Kieran let out a sigh of satisfaction, wiping the sweat off his brow with the back of his left hand.

He had just finished playing (torturing) the black clad soldiers, and now he was standing on a small pile of their bodies. Most of his clothes were covered in blood (theirs, of course) and bits of their flesh, including their innards that Kieran took great joy in plucking out of their bodies. Now that he looked at it, he can see some tiny remnants of their flesh and organs had gotten stuck in his fingernails.

Pulling out a clean handkerchief from his pocket, the amber eyed servant tried to clean himself as best as he could, wiping off the bits of fleshes and fresh blood off his face and body before chucking the piece of cloth away in some direction without care. He looked around the room, admiring his own bloody handiwork once more.

The grand hallway looked perfectly thrashed, even more so before. The once clean walls and floors were painted with blood and broken furniture can be seen everywhere strewn around the room. The broken chandeliers on the floor got stained with dried blood. Some even have intestines decorating them, much to his grim amusement.

It was simply no longer as grand, polished and majestic as it was once before.

Once he had his fill, Kieran came back to reality and walked down from the pile of dead bodies.

Just as his feet landed on the carpeted floor, his sense of danger blared in his mind like loud horns, causing him to pick up his modified firearm from its holster in a blink of an eye as he turned around to the direction where he had sensed the threat to his safety.

An incredulous expression came upon his face as he saw it was the old mage, who he had killed first earlier.

'_The hell? How's he not dead? I thought I was thorough_. _Either he's not human, or he got a trick up his sleeve_...' The retainer thought, a bit surprised by the old mage's perseverance.

The amber eyed retainer watched as the old mage simply stood where he was, eyes closed and seemingly calm with his arms by his sides.

The magical energy Kieran was picking up from the old mage was the opposite told a different story, however. It was dangerous, ominous and undeniably not akin to a human's. Just by watching the old mage stood there eleven feet away from him felt foreboding, as if there was something dangerous about to come next.

That was when he noticed it.

In place of the dead bodies of the black clad soldiers, there were skeletons instead. It was as if the corpses shriveled up and had been reduced to bones. The only evidence that the skeletons were the soldiers are the black clothes and the puddles of blood that remained behind, which begged the question as to what happened while his attention was on the old mage.

Even as Kieran had his gun pointed at him, the old mage didn't moved an inch.

The retainer was beginning to wonder whether he was even breathing, seeing as he didn't saw the fall and rising motions of his chest. The long haired mage was that still. Not only that, the foreboding sense of danger he was feeling from the old mage was getting more prominent as the seconds went by.

Feeling that he was getting nowhere with his internal musings, Kieran had decided to break the eerie silence.

"Oi… 'ow the fuck are you up and about?" The retainer questioned, glaring at the intruder.

In response, the old mage opened his eyes, and that was when it dawned on Kieran.

The old mage's dark gray eyes were no longer so. Instead, replacing them were a pair of bright crimson ones that was one of the familiar characteristics of a certain race.

"Dead Apostle… fucking awesome, really." Kieran muttered under his breath, internally cursing his luck.

His attention turned to the old mage when the latter began to speak.

"I must say… you did quite a fantastic work taking me out first. You caught me off guard, this I admit." The intruder smiled wryly, as if amused by his own incompetence.

"Why thanks, I'm flattered." Kieran replied with thick sarcasm in his voice.

"Still, that was also quite rude of you." The old mage idly said, brushing off imaginary dusts from his shoulders and front, despite the blood and bits of gore that stained them. "I was merely asking for your master's whereabouts to give him something, not to harm him."

"Oh? Well, Boss ain't interested in seeing ya, so you can either fuck off or die right here. I highly recommend for ya to choose the second option though." Kieran stated nonchalantly.

"Awfully charming, you are." The old mage(?) smiled thinly, clearly amused.

"Some say that it's one of my charmin' points." Kieran said with a shrug.

"Nevertheless, I insist."

After flashing him with another smile, one that revealed the two fangs peeking below his upper lip, the blood-sucking creature crossed the room in a span of split second, almost too fast for Kieran to notice. But, fortunately, his spars with the others improved his basic abilities and honed his senses to a manageable level, so he didn't sucked more than he was originally.

Using the underside of his gun, Kieran managed to block the thrust attack from the intruder's sharp nails that nearly pierced his throat.

He did a roll to the side to evade the intruder's kick, firing several shots at him as he moved to the other side to maintain a distance.

The Dead Apostle was about to follow up another attack before he was rudely interrupted by an unexpected newcomer.

***BANG***

***BANG***

***BANG***

***BANG***

Endless barrages of black magical energy in the form of tiny marbles, launching off with the speed of a bullet, hit the Dead Apostle in specific areas. They landed on the center of Jester Karture's head, his torso, arms, legs, knees and repeat. The magical bullet storm came out of nowhere, but seeing the direction of their appearance, Kieran saw that the attacks came from below Jester.

The 'black bullets' were actually simple curses called the '**Gandr**', but due to the highly concentrated magical energy contained in them, they are called '**Finn Shot**'.

The assailant was targeted his vital spots with such marksmanship and terrifying precision in perfect order, it was almost a beautiful sight to watch.

Knowing who was behind the attack, Kieran simply stood to the side and enjoyed the show, smirking at the way the Dead Apostle kept getting hit.

The intruder was not happy with his current predicament though, seeing as he tried to escape the onslaught of black hailstorm. But alas, every time he did try to escape, he would be interrupted, getting shot in the face or forehead in return as the speed of the barrages slowly and steadily increased.

Also, Jester's high-speed regeneration, one of the abilities that was normal and expected in most vampires, helped him recover his limbs and other body parts he had lost. But, the powerful effects of the Gandr was reducing the speed of his regeneration, preventing his body from being fully restored.

Kieran had already lost count how many times Jester got hit, but after a whole twenty seconds was done, the furious black hailstorm stopped. But, not after one shot, one that looked a bit larger in size and power, was fired off and landed on the intruder's face. The power behind the shot launched the blood-sucker off of his feet, away and down to the other end of the hallway near the entrance.

Jester landed on his back with a rough 'thud', thoroughly pelleted with so many Finn Shots that he was reduced to an ugly pile of blood, flesh and curses on the dirty floor.

"Damn…" The retainer whistled, highly impressed and slightly intimidated at what he had seen.

***DING***

The gentle chime of the elevator's arrival to the current floor caused Kieran to look over his shoulder and behind him.

The doors of the elevator opened, revealing his Master, Hadrian, in all his calm and majestic glory with the infamous Trident gripped in his right hand, its sights facing the ground.

His master still wore the same calm and poised expression that was ever present, but the inhumane grace in his movement and the regal yet serious intensity in his bright cyan eyes were akin to that of a great apex predator, who was about to end the life of his prey. Which, in this case, would be the vampire, who recently got bombarded with bullets and prone on the ground.

Seeing his master calm and poised, as if nothing ever bothered him, Kieran grinned humorously and gave a jaunty salute to his benefactor.

"Wassup, Boss!" The retainer greeted. "Nice shooting. Ya got the bastard, but how'd ya do that?"

"While the elevator was going up." Hadrian answered, stepping beside his retainer. "But, don't let your guard down yet. He's still alive."

"Wait, I thought ya aren't going up here?" Kieran asked, brows furrowed in confusion. "Who's protecting the people below?"

"Don't worry, I left someone capable of guarding the others there." Hadrian said with great confidence, smiling pleasantly.

They were interrupted when a series sounds of bones cracking echoed in the room, causing them to turn their gazes to where Jester Karture was located.

When they sighted him, the vampire was in the process of regenerating. His bones were forcefully righted as his regeneration undo the damages, albeit in a slower paced than before. The young mage did a number on the intruder's body, to the point that it took a whole minute for the latter's body restored enough for him to stand.

Idly, Hadrian took note of the strange clicking sounds he kept hearing, which was oddly similar to the noise of a revolver's chamber turning.

Hadrian and Kieran did nothing, simply observing and waiting for the intruder to regenerate.

They had this feeling that the intruder had something to say, now that Hadrian was present.

True enough, after Jester forcefully righted the bones in his shoulder and straightened his posture, he flashed a smile towards Hadrian and bowed to his waist.

"Greetings, you must be Hadrianus Mathius von Schweinorg. I am Jester Karture, a mere lowly Dead Apostle. I am deeply honored to be in your presence." The intruder greeted him.

"So I've heard. Now, state your business here before I lose my patience." Hadrian stated in a sharp tone, his bright cyan eyes squinting slightly in warning.

While a bit intimidated by the glare, Jester simply flashed him another smile, one that seemed genuine but lacked any warmth inside.

On anyone, it might even seemed true, but on the vampire's face, it just felt like a mockery of what a smile should be. That was what it felt to Kieran.

"Very well." Jester coughed lightly into his hand, then continued on. "I am here to deliver you a message. This letter, actually."

"A letter?" Kieran repeated, skeptical.

"Yes, a letter." Jester affirmed with a nod.

He reached into the inside of his blazer's pocket, unheeding of how Kieran pointed his gun at him, ready to shoot, as he grabbed something and pulled it out.

True to his words, in his right hand was a small envelope that was stained with a bit of blood. It was even stamped with a red seal.

Hadrian already had the automaton scanned the item, and found nothing magical on him. He was still cautious though, but his instincts also told him that it was a simple letter.

Knowing that the two wouldn't take the letter from him even if he offered it to them, Jester kneeled on one knee to the floor and laid the enveloped gently on the torso of one black clad skeleton. Then, he stood up and sighed in relief, causing the amber eyed retainer to frown suspiciously at him.

"There, I've done my part. Now, I must return." Jester announced, giving another bow to Hadrian.

"What makes ya think we'll let ya leave here, eh?" Kieran began, glaring at the vampire.

"Oh, I think you have other matters that would concern you greatly." Jester replied, smiling toothily.

The amber eyed servant felt uncomfortable.

From the beginning, the vampire had been calm and nonchalant. Even when they had been fighting earlier, Jester Karture was nothing but apathetic to everything around him, including the deaths of his soldiers. Now, however, the blood-sucker looked almost amused, despite his unkempt and bloody appearance, which gave eerie vibes to Kieran.

For some strange reason, Jester reminded Kieran of an unsettling clown. The ones that act genuinely, yet distant and cold at the same time.

It was almost as if emotions was an alien subject for Jester Karture; that was the impression that Kieran was getting.

Just as Kieran was about to tell the vampire to fuck off, he was beaten to the punch when Hadrian disappeared beside him, only to reappear next to Jester in a split second.

In slow motion, the retainer watched as his master kicked the intruder in the middle, launching him away and his body slammed roughly against the wall before the young mage followed it up with two powerful Finn Shots to Jester's face and chest, causing the vampire blast through the wall of cement that seemed six inched thick in mass.

Small debris fell over as a man-shaped hole was made, while Jester disappeared through it and was blasted far into the ocean.

In a rare moment, Kieran found himself speechless.

He had fought the vampire, albeit briefly, but the power Jester can muster was not a joke. Now, he just witnessed his Master overwhelmed Jester, even outmaneuvering and besting him. The magical strength behind his Finn Shots alone were enough to blast the vampire away and catapult the blood-sucker through the wall, making a nice man-shaped hole on it.

'_Yeah, one of the reasons why I never messed with him. Learned my fucking lesson the first time_…' Kieran thought to himself, feeling a trickle of sweat pour down the side of his face as he looked at the gap on the wall, courtesy of his young master's doing.

He was broken out of his reverie when the entrance opened and admitted a certain Knight of the Love Spot, who entered to the scene in a run. Dia ran inside, but stopped when he noticed the state of the room, his fellow retainer and his master inside. Said spear-wielder looked around with a confused expression, then turned to Kieran.

"Did I miss something?" Dia asked, glancing at the man-shaped hole in the wall.

"Yeah, a lot." Kieran snorted, shaking his head with a wry expression.

"Come along, you two." Hadrian interrupted, walking towards the entrance. "We must get to the others."

"Ah, but what about the people here?" Dia asked, hurrying to his liege's side along with Kieran.

"They'll be fine. I doubt there would be anymore intrusions after this." Hadrian answered, keeping his gaze straight ahead. "The enemy's main goal is in the island, not here."

"What about that fucker, boss?" Kieran said with a raised brow. "I'm sure as hell that that blood-sucker ain't dead." He paused, continuing unsurely. "… Is he?"

"No, he is not." Hadrian confirmed. "I doubt mere spells would be able to kill him off. But that was the best I can do at the moment. I would have used a Black Key, but it's my inventory. I do not want to give away of what I'm capable of to a mere messenger. Also, we're near the Spider's nest, so I don't wish to trigger the alien's early awakening if I can help it." Then, he muttered to the side, looking the other away with a slightly sheepish expression. "I'm trying to keep low right now on my magical displays, so I'm limited in spells."

Due to their extraordinary senses, Kieran and Dia exchanged surprised glances with each other, not knowing what to say to their liege's mumbled excuse that was obviously not meant for their ears.

Before the two could say anything though, the young mage sped up his walk, following after him were his two retainers.

One was dutiful and loyal, while the other was apprehensive of what was about to come. Both are different, yet united in their loyalty and trust to their young liege.

Kieran merely hoped that they were not about to walk to their deaths.

…

* * *

…

[… **Spider's Nest – South** …]

***CLANG***

***CLANG***

***CLANG***

Sparks flew as Arturia used her wind covered sword to deflect the bullets that came in her way, courtesy of the enemy Servant, Archer.

"HAH!" The King of Knights shouted.

After deflecting the sprays of bullets, she willed for the wind to gather around her invisible sword and swung the weapon with both hands at the enemy servant's way.

Strong gusts of wind came with the intention to hammer down at the insolent intruder, surrounding said intruder from three sides. The heavy pressure behind them pulverized the crystal trees nearby in to dust, creating small whirlwinds nearby as they rushed towards Archer, who simply smirked before using his speed to get away.

His escape would have been clean if not for Arash, who fired off a series number of arrows in his way.

"Tch!" Archer grunted as he used the white coffin to protect himself from the projectiles.

Since his evasion was hindered, he was forced to guard himself from Arturia's attack as well. He was pushed back nearly twenty feet away when the King of Knight's wind based attack met the coffin, and his feet nearly got buried in the dirt as he mustered the strength in his lower body and legs to endure the assault.

After sensing the force had dwindled, Archer lowered the coffin and quickly went on the move.

The two servants quickly gave chase, equally determined not to let him get too far away.

Even though he had only fought the two servants for a few minutes, Archer can easily deduce that the knight and bowman were an unrelenting duo when it comes to a fight. By unrelenting, he meant that the two seemed to truly intend on taking him down, even if he was on death's door. The attacks they used against were direct yet tricky, though the trickiest attacks only came from the bowman.

The beautiful woman with the invisible sword was always the one who would subtly challenge him in a direct confrontation.

Of course, Archer had no intention to fight her mano-o-mano. Just by strength alone, she had him beat by a mile wide.

It was why he often tries to distance himself from her to avoid being engaged in a close combat. The brown skinned bowman, however, seemed to have a different opinion about this. Every single time Archer had managed to distance himself from the relentless woman, the brown skinned archer would engaged him in a long-range battle to buy some time for the swordswoman to get close to him.

It was a tactic that often led Archer to gritting his teeth in annoyance, simply due to how successful it was in catching him off guard.

As vexing it was for him to admit it, the criminal mastermind found himself in a troublesome pickle.

He had already tried to disrupt their seamless teamwork and tactic by firing off missiles and bombs at them, but unfortunately, he was not the only one with tricks hidden under his sleeve. The moment he changed his attack pattern, the two did so as well… by showing him their own skills. The swordswoman used her wind trick, sword skills and that blasted magical burst of energy from her body.

The criminal mastermind experienced a nasty shock of surprise when his 'special' bullet didn't even penetrated through her defenses earlier.

After that particular moment, Archer had sworn off from firing any more of his special bullets against the determined swordswoman, especially when it would just be a futile effort on his part since her magical protections were too strong for the bullets to go against. When it comes to the blonde swordswoman, Archer's luck often plays against him.

The tan skinned bowman on the other hand, showed him his level of commitment in using underhanded tactics and his magic trick of creating arrows instantly.

The arrows might be simple, but the tanned bowman was quick to make them and just as fast to release them like Archer would pull the trigger on a gun. The force behind the projectiles the former had employed was also noteworthy. Often times, there were moments when Archer's bullets and small missiles would get hit by his enemy counterpart, just as soon as Archer had deployed them.

It speaks of the other archer's skills with the bow and his great eyesight.

While their abilities alone might seemed unimpressive, it was their smooth cooperation with one another that gave Archer the most trouble. He was only one man against two foes, after all. It reminded Archer of how a certain detective and his doctor friend would work together to thwart his plans in the past.

'_Aaah, I really am old here_…' Archer sighed to himself, resigned.

Shaking himself off from his sentimental lapse, the criminal mastermind quickly zoned back in the battle.

In all honesty, he wanted to converse with the two servants regarding something, but after his 'trick' earlier in the forest before they came to the crystal valley, the servant duo seemed to have no desire to talk to him. They made small talk earlier in the first minute of the battle, mostly taunts and sniping at each other, but no one talked after that.

Idly, Archer wondered if he had gone too far with the traps he had set up in the forest.

He had been bored of waiting for them earlier, so he set up a series of 'fun' surprise for the two, which he left in the forest. He could not help it, not after he had been turned and infected with something disgusting right after he was summoned. His summoning was not even natural, but at least he still remained as himself at the core, albeit one with darker thoughts then before.

His allegiance might be to that vilesome woman and is forced to be loyal under the power of a Command Seal, but his mind and personality was still mostly the same.

Anyways, Archer still desire to talk to the duo regarding something important, so he tried.

***BOOM***

…

After he evades the swordswoman's attack first.

Once he was safely out of harm's way, Archer was about to call out to them when a sudden chill went down his spine and he felt a brief flash of pain on his neck.

He blinked once and was met with the startled looks upon the servant duo's faces. His sight slowly faded into darkness when he tried to blink for the second time.

Everything had gone dark after that, and Archer knew no more.

…

* * *

…

Arash and Arturia didn't know what happened.

One moment, Archer evaded Arturia's attack and opened his mouth, most likely to call her out

And then, in a blink of an eye, Archer's body stiffened as a number of flashes of light appeared from behind and through him, only to vanish as quickly as it appeared. The criminal mastermind blinked once, meeting the two retainers' surprised and startled gazes with a dumbfounded look on his weathered face.

When he blinked the second time, his knees buckled when blood began to come out from his neck. A large, deep cut in the middle of his neck was the cause of his wound, but more appeared around the torso. Then, Archer's body started to fall to the ground, and his head soon followed as it detached itself from his neck with a disturbing 'squelch' noise.

The two retainers stared at the headless body of their enemy for a few moments, then to the lone head that rolled away a few feet from its body.

Slowly, they turned to look at each other, disgust and bewilderment clear on their faces.

"Well, that was… quite an execution." Arash said slowly, unsure of the outcome.

His comment made Arturia to sigh and rubbed his temple in resignation.

"Must you always do that?" The King of Knights asked, taking a deep breath to calm herself.

Cause if she doesn't, she might give in to the urge and hit the bowman on the back of his head with the blunt side of her sword.

"Do what? I'm just being honest." Arash said with a grin, relaxing now that the battle was over.

Arturia did too, but only a little. She was not sure happened, but just because the enemy seemed dead, it does not mean the battle was over.

Recalling what happened to Rider and Scáthach yesterday in the abandoned asylum, Arturia would prefer to ready for whatever might happen next.

"Do not lower your guard yet, the enemy might still be alive." Arturia warned, sending Arash a knowing look with her eyes.

Arash was about to respond when the appearance of a cloud of black smoke suddenly appeared behind Archer's dead body nearby.

The two servants snapped their gazes to the black smoke, wary and guarded as they readied themselves for another potential battle.

The black cloud stayed there for a few moments, dancing on one spot, then a bright light flash briefly before a shape took form. The black smoke disappeared when someone began to come out of it, and it was only when a pair of eerie blue infernal eyes shone through the darkness of the smoke did the two servants lowered their weapons.

The owner of the blue flame-like eyes belongs to a man in a dark gray cloak. He stands at 220cm, with broad-shoulders and has a heavy physique. Most of his features were hidden due to the hood he wore over his head, but when he turned his gaze to the two servants, the bearded face of a weary and stern-looking old man in his late fifties was shown.

The large sword gripped in his right hand and the aura of dread surrounding his form would immediately dissuade anyone who would be disrespectful in his presence.

It was '**Hassan-I Sabbah**', who was also known as the **Old Man of the Mountain**.

Arash was the fourth servant to be summoned by the young mage, but King Hassan (a nickname his master gave to Hassan, which the latter took a liking to) was his senior, seeing as the Old Man was the second Servant that was summoned a few months after his master and Arturia had returned to the Schweinorg castle from the Moon Grail War.

Seeing the powerful Assassin before him, Arash recalled how master described to him about the former's summoning ritual.

At that time, after a few months of rest and catching up on his research, his master wanted to test the limits of the Moon Cell's abilities after he was gifted with the Regalia. One of the abilities he wished to put to the test was its ability to summon servants. The automaton had already displayed its phenomenal abilities in the war, but he had been whether it would allow him to summon a Servant.

The answer resulted with King Hassan responding to his call.

Arash clearly remembered how Hadrian explained to him that it had been an unexpected summoning. He prepared the ritual below his workshop, but a gift from his father (of which had also been a gift to his father from his late uncle before his master was born) accidentally became a catalyst, and in the process, King Hassan came out of the void.

The Persian bowman considered himself skilled and strong enough to contend with the likes of Arturia and the others, but King Hassan stood at the pinnacle above them all. Arash was surprised to hear Arturia and Scáthach admit to themselves that the Old Man was stronger than them, despite their legends.

How that was possible, Arash had no idea.

But, his master did mentioned to him about King Hassan's Saint Graph being different to all of them, but the tanned bowman had no clue what he meant by that. Even now.

What he did understood was that there was something in King Hassan's Saint Graph that made him powerful and unique than the rest of the retainers.

Arash snapped out of his thoughts when King Hassan took a step forward and stabbed the large sword in front of him, laying both of his hands over the pommel.

"Man, you scared us there, King Hassan." The bowman grinned sheepishly, shoulders relaxing.

"Indeed." Arturia agreed with a sigh of relief, closing her eyes for a brief moment of respite. She opened them again and looked to the tall, imposing form of the powerful Assassin. "Speaking of which, what are you doing here? In fact, how did you even arrived here?"

"Through a Command Seal." The Old Man of the Mountain answered, his tone was curt but precise.

The tone of his voice as he spoke would have offended other people, but not the two servants present.

They were already used to his stern way of talking. In fact, most retainers were amused by his archaic way of speaking, but none dared to show it on their faces as it might offend the silent and stern servant, something that they would rather avoid wholeheartedly. The Old Man might not be as skilled as some of them, much less famous in legend, but his ability to chop off the heads of his enemies with a mere swing of his sword was simply too terrifying for Arash and the others to even dare consider teasing the weathered assassin.

His fellow retainer, Kieran, would be more mindful of his words whenever King Hassan was in the area. To the point that the cynical servant would not even so much as curse in his presence.

The founder of the Hashashin was that intimidating.

Arash and Arturia nodded in understanding, not minding that the assassin turned silent and gave no further explanation.

"Then… Master sent you here?" Arash asked, scratching the side of his head with the butt end of an arrow held in his left hand.

"Correct." One dull gray eye met the bowman's gaze as the cowl of his cloak hid the other.

"I see." Arturia said, then nodded to him in gratitude. "I thank you for the assistance."

"Yeah, thanks. This bastard was quite tricky, so we had a bit of a trouble knocking him out. Better that he's dead instead of alive and potentially escape in the future." Arash agreed with a sigh.

"Tis of no matter." King Hassan stated.

"So… what now?" Arash asked, glancing to Arturia then King Hassan and back. "This guy's dead. Should we just leave him here?"

The enemy servant's body seemed solid, like their own. Archer had bled earlier, and bled even more after he had sustained many fatal injuries from their combined attacks. Seeing that his body was not showing hints of fading away into golden particles of ether, which was the norm when a servant dies, Arash assumed that he was given a body similar to his and the others.

The bowman didn't even want to think what would happen if a spawn of the Spider's stumble upon Archer's body and consider it as its next lunch.

Hence, the reason why Arash was leery of leaving the dead body alone. Just as Arash was contemplating of burning the body instead of leaving it behind, he heard Arturia began to speak.

"Never mind that, what about the others?" Arturia asked in return, brows furrowing in thought.

Surprisingly, it was King Hassan who answered her.

"Thou shalt not need to worry." The tall, imposing assassin said, eyes closing briefly. "The young mage hast set forth to come here."

"Eh? You mean Master's coming? Like here, here?" Arash asked, dark brown eyes wide in surprise.

"Why?" Arturia inquired next, concerned for her liege.

"He shall explain that himself soon." King Hassan responded calmly, eyes opened and met their gazes. "Thou shalt have other concerns than the young mage."

"What do you mean?" Arash queried, confused.

*Thou shalt see soon enough." King Hassan announced, much to the two servants' confusion.

As soon as he said it though, a loud series of cracks snapped through the clearing, startling the two servants before they turned their gazes to the left where they heard the noise. It was as if something delicate (like glass) broke and a domino effect occurred. Then, the ground beneath feet rumbled, further adding to their confusion and apprehension.

A high pitched scream caused the three servants to break into a run, with Arturia and Arash leading the front charge while King Hassan followed after them.

Just as they were about to enter a forest of tree crystals however, a certain pink-haired servant suddenly appeared into their sights, trailing closely behind him were Yan Qing and Rider. What worried Arash was the obvious anxious expressions on their faces. Rider still remained calm, but there was a sense of urgency in her movements, as if she wary of something.

Yan Qing was cursing under his breath, but Astolfo looked rightly afraid. There were even tears pooling on the corners of his eyes, threatening to fall as the situation turned intense. It would have looked comical if the situation was not so dire and they were not in a panic. Just by sensing the tension rolling off from his friends, it was enough indication for Arash to adopt a serious demeanor once more.

"The hell is going –" Arash was about to ask them once the trio got close enough.

But, he was ignored as the three ran past him and the others.

"RUUUUUN!" Astolfo shouted over his shoulder.

"FUCKING RUN MAN! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!" Yan Qing added through gritted teeth.

Rider went by without so much as a word, which didn't really made Arash feel any better about the situation.

Bewildered, the Persian bowman turned his gaze to where the trio had come from and found the source of their anxiety.

It was something dark, tall and menacing. The size of the creature would tower even the tallest of man. It was also powerful in terms of magical strength, and appeared to be very, very hungry. It let out a loud roar that rumbled the ground and distorted the air around it. Increasing his apprehension was that the thing was not alone.

Needless to say, after taking a glance of what was chasing after the three, Arash was quick on the uptake and was right on his friends' heels.

But, not before he took an item that fell out Archer's pocket and ignited the latter's body on fire with one of his arrows as he bolted away with the others.

His master might need to take a look at it later.

First and foremost though, he would need to survive the current situation with the others.

…

* * *

…

"SHIT! SHIT! SHIIIIIIT!" Charles cursed through gritted teeth.

Just when he thought his day could get worse, his friends came out and brought something horrible with them.

The turnabout of the situation was so sudden, it was headache inducing for him just thinking about it.

Earlier, he and Scáthach were battling the heavily muscled Servant. It had been intense and exhausting, with every arrow the strange-looking servant fired at them could have had potentially killed him or the crimson eyed spear-wielder. Fortunately, their hard-earned teamwork shined through the fight and allowed them to overwhelm the enemy servant's highly impressive combat prowess.

If not for Scáthach's little diversions and contributions, Charles would have died so many times in the fight.

With their level of cooperation and diverse skillsets, he and Scáthach had pushed the enemy servant back. They had even managed to cause a number of fatal injuries upon the big bastard that he was forced to retreat from the fight, which proved their master's assumption that the intruder was simply a bait for them to be there. They have yet to discover why they would resort to such a thing though.

Flushed with victory as their objective was within their reach, the two retainers were not about to let their quarry escape after it was clear that he was weakened.

The danger he presented alone was enough for the two retainers to consider killing him then and there, if he were to resort to using his Noble Phantasm just to make their lives difficult.

Then, a huge curveball was thrown at their feet and the two retainers were forced to turn their attention away from the enemy.

His allies came out of nowhere and interrupted the battle, which gave the big guy an opportunity to escape from under their noses. The result of the situation greatly annoyed the two retainers, but the gravity of the situation demanded their attention more than to give chase to a troublesome foe, who have yet to reveal his true abilities.

All Charles and Scáthach had managed to gather from the big bastard so far were his top-notched skills with Pankration (an ancient Greek mixed martial arts) and the bow, his strange armaments, his basic prowess in combat (endurance, strength, speed, etc.) and his equally strange appearance.

Hmm, perhaps his master might have an idea on who the big bastard is.

Astolfo led the group in the front, running towards Charles and Scáthach with a frightened expression on his face that would have sent Charles laughing at him in any situation but now. Not that Charles could blame his friends for running instead of fighting. It only took a single glance for them to see what was chasing after their friends that made Charles and Scáthach decide to run along with them.

Now, all of the seven retainers were on the run, doing their absolute best to evade the assaults of the Spider's spawns.

Charles didn't think that the things chasing his friends, and them, would be the actual spawns of the Spider. He had been assured by his liege that they were sleeping, hibernating, somewhere in the isle, but he did not expected that he was about to encounter them in the middle of a battle.

From the bits and pieces he had gathered from Yan and Astolfo's conversation while they are on the run, the intruder that they were assigned to capture used his Noble Phantasm amidst in their fight. It had a close call for the Rider, Yan and Astolfo. The trio did their best to prevent the outcome from occurring, but it happened when they least expected it.

Some kind of explosion went off when they tried to stop him, but the enemy servant used that chance to activate his Noble Phantasm and nearly overwhelmed them as a result.

The trio had no other choice, but to defend themselves from his attacks by switching to their Servant forms, which turned out to be their greatest mistake.

No sooner did they manage to successfully defend themselves from the enemy's unexpected assault, the three retainers were about to go on the attack when something tall, large and eerily menacing had literally dropped in the middle of the battlefield without so much as a hint of its presence.

It was so unexpected it had caught the three retainers off their guards, they stopped and looked at the spawn with similar surprised expressions. The three retainers were broke out of their shock when the enemy servant tried to attack the spider's spawn with several of his black stakes, deeming the alien spawn as an enemy for intruding on his battle.

Keyword being '_tried_'.

The trio received a nasty surprise when the attack didn't work, not even scratching the hard external surface of the spawn's body. Instead, the attack had only managed to aggravate the spawn. It had growled and screeched before it returned the favor and attacked the intruder by backhanding him across the clearing.

The trio didn't stay in the area any longer than necessary after they had seen their opponent get easily brushed off in such a manner.

If their enemy's Noble Phantasm didn't work on the spider's spawn, what hope could they do with theirs?

And so they ran.

The three retainers did their best to run and hide somewhere, but the spawn was clever and fast.

Hiding did not do them any good since the spawn had terrifying sensing abilities, to the point that it can detect them before they could even think about hiding somewhere. The retainers had tried to use the runes that Scáthach can cast with minimal cost in magical energy, but even that plan didn't worked in their favor.

It also didn't helped their case when the spawn called out to its kin from nearby as it had chased after them, increasing their chaser into more than just one.

The only thing that they can do was run and used their own abilities to push the spawns back whenever they lunged or try to tackle one of them.

Yan, Astolfo and Rider had managed to keep up their tactic till they met with Arturia and Arash. Then, the five continued to run and the spawns continued their chase relentlessly. Said five arrived to the scene of where Charles and Scáthach were located, and the rest was history.

The retainers had tried to come up their own strategies to fight back, but none of their attacks had worked so far.

They weren't even given time to rest as the spawns were quite unexpected and shrewd in their assaults. If it weren't for their battle experience, teamwork and diverse abilities, half of them would have been caught and eaten as lunch by the alien spawns. The retainers had to work together to survive, or they would never be able to leave the island alive.

The current situation was simply that bad.

As Charles brainstormed while on the run, he heard some of his fellow allies talked nearby.

"Just so you guys know –" Astolfo half panted and half shouted. "This is (pant, pant)… This is not how I imagined my day to be! Being lunch to an alien spawn is not on my weekend bucket list, guys!"

"Why're you worried about something like that at a time like this?!" Yan shouted back, incredulous.

"I'm too sweet for an alien spawn! I don't think I'll make for an appetizing meal!" Astolfo returned, pink brows knitting in panic.

"You're not the only one who is about to become a meal!" Yan retorted, getting annoyed by the pink haired retainer's ramblings as they ran ahead of the group.

"Too sweet?! More like a pink Macaron chock full of crap sugar if you ask me!" Arash pitched in with a laugh.

"Be quiet and keep running, you two!" Arturia commanded through gritted teeth. Then, she glanced to Arash briefly. "Arash, Scáthach, ready yourselves!"

With that said, the swordswoman lashed out with her invisible sword at an alien spawn that was beginning to be a bit too close to them for comfort and a strong gust pushed the strange, hungry spawn further back to its kin. The spawn let out an annoyed screech as it was blown away and crashed into a few crystal trees in the process, making loud clicking noises in displeasure as it goes.

One spawn might have gotten behind, but several more were still chasing after them.

The retainers didn't let up in their pace and continued to run, only stopping in brief moments to defend or evade the assaults of their chasers.

Ignoring the peanut gallery beside him, Charles turned Arash and Scáthach, who are both assisting Arturia to make their escape smoother and easier.

"By the way, you said that Master is coming here right?" The cheeky retainer asked, controlling his breathing as he paced himself.

"Yeah, he got Kieran and Dia with him." Arash answered, letting out a grunt as he fired a group of arrows to push back a persistent spawn that was fixated on him for a while.

"I thought you said that the old man was with you guys? What happened?" Charles asked, recalling his friend's words when they met up with him and Arturia earlier.

"Dunno! Hup!" Arash said, jumping over a spawn's head to avoid being captured before he made his getaway, firing his arrows as he did so. "Got separated from him, and I didn't see him when Arturia and I made a run for it." Seeing the look of concern in Charles's eyes, Arash was quick to reassure him. "Don't worry 'bout him, I'm sure the old man's fine. He's the strongest than all of us, after all."

"Hmm… for an old man, he sure is quick to disappear." Charles joked, trying to ease his concern.

"Perks of a top Assassin class!" Arash grinned.

"How long are we going to keep this up?" Scáthach cut in, annoyed by their relentless chasers.

Most of them were sweating bullets, especially Astolfo and Charles. They are tired, both physically and mentally.

With the exception of Scáthach, the six retainers were still within the boundaries of human limitations. Exhaustion and hunger were still viable for them since they had been given mortal bodies to better blend in with humans. Switching to their servant forms had crossed their minds before, but they are afraid that they might wake up more of the Spider's spawns if they chose that route.

Doing so could possibly make things harder for them than the opposite. So, they opted to endure the chase within their mortal forms.

While Scáthach was not tired like most of them, she was still annoyed by the brutality and relentlessness of the Spider's spawn. She, Arturia and Arash were in charge of guarding the rear, so that the remaining others can safely survey the front to make sure that they weren't being greeted by a horde of hungry alien spawns and get trap in between.

The chase had went on for quite a while and they had been managing well so far, but it was slowly beginning to get on her nerves.

"Till Master gets here." Arash said, then he smiled as a familiar static went off in their minds. "Oh, speaking of which…"

'_How you are guys holding up?_' Their Master's calm voice asked, causing some of the retainers to smile in relief.

'_Never better, Boss_.' Yan said with a sigh.

'_Where are you now?_' Arturia asked, straight to the point.

'_Just arrived on the island. I'm with the others_.' The young mage answered promptly. '_Make your way to me. We'll make our escape once we regroup_.'

'_Got it / Yes / Roger!_' The retainers all responded in unison.

As soon as the mind link was cut off, the retainers felt a surge of magical energy in their bodies, replenishing what they had used before and energizing them further.

Their Master must have been used a spell to give them all his magical energy and some buffs, which made them feel refreshed and ready for combat.

"Aight, let's go and lose some of these bastards on the way!" Arash proposed with a grin.

The male retainers let out shouts of 'hurrahs', voicing their agreements, causing the three females in the group to shake their heads at their antics.

"Men…" Scáthach and Rider muttered in unison.

…

* * *

…

When he took a step forward, Hadrian let out a sigh.

He watched as the air he breathed out became a visible puff of mist in front of him. He switched his attention to his surroundings, surveying the area from left to right. He stared at the black ground, the thick mist scattered across the island, and the glittering crystal trees. Then, he turned his gaze to the front where he saw the crimson beacon of light blinking deep within the heart of the isle.

"To think I would step foot here." He shook his head, smiling wryly. "Must've lost my damn mind…"

"Fou…" Fou, his white fluffy familiar, cooed from her perch on his shoulder.

The young mage smiled, rubbing the familiar around her nape as thanks for her comforting gesture.

On his way to the island, Hadrian couldn't help but feel apprehensive.

He had felt it before back in the main headquarters of the Watch, but now that he had stepped foot unto the island, the fear in his heart was more prominent. No mages, regardless of their prestige and noble ranks, would dare venture into the territory of an Ultimate One. His grandfather was even wary of putting such a thought into motion, despite his superb abilities and tricks.

The Wizard Marshall might be daring at times, but when up against a powerful entity, even Zelretch would exert extreme caution.

It was the same as how he handled his battle against Crimson Moon. Hadrian had heard it from his grandfather quite a number of times in how he approached the ancient bloodsucker, and it was with a combination of wit and cunning. His grandfather had always taunted the latter to throw him off his guard, while coming up with different ways to end his immortal enemy.

Needless to say, his grandfather had lost count on how many times he had managed to successfully annoy Crimson Moon, which the old mage seemed to take pleasure in recounting and took it as his main victory in their battle. In hindsight, it was also probably the reason why the ancient vampire turned his grandfather into a Dead Apostle, for causing him an aneurism for the first time in his long life.

His bravery and 'noble' achievement aside, Zelretch was quick to warn his grandson of approaching possible encounters with hostile aliens.

'_Don't rush in. Prepare your escape first before planning out your attacks_. _Better yet, just don't come near where aliens hang around, okay? Don't do what I did!_'

That was the wise advice of the infamous Wizard Marshall, of which he passed onto his grandson.

And yet, here he was, treading into the Spider's territory to rescue his retainers from their problematic predicament.

"Too late for that…" Hadrian sighed. "I suppose I really am his grandson."

He had spoken to his seven retainers and gave them some support by casting a few buffs and a healing spell to ensure their safety and escape. It might be miniscule, but his buff and healing spells can go a long way. It was the least thing he could do for all the troubles they encountered. It was also what helped him and Arturia throughout their battles in the Moon Holy Grail War.

Now, he had just finished his preparations for their escape, and had sent King Hassan and Dia deep into the island for something important. If they happen to encounter the others along the way, then it was all the better for them to stick together and guide them to him so that they can be sent to safety.

The only problem he encountered was that the teleportation circle cannot transport more than five people. The actual process would be instantaneous, but it was limited for five at a time and there was a temporary break once the transportation was used before the action can be repeated. The break would last for about thirty seconds after each turn, which poses as a problem due to the dire situation.

His retainers were being chased, and still are.

Hadrian can sense it, and the automaton reported to him as much.

If need be, he would not hesitate to use the remaining Command Seals if the situation takes a turn for the worse. The seals would always replenish itself by the next day, courtesy of the automaton's doing. Thus, he was not concerned about using them and down to the last tattoo.

Also, he was not naïve to expect that he and the others would be able to leave the island without encountering some kind of trouble.

With no time to waste, Hadrian spent some of his time in checking and re-checking the bounded field he made around the teleportation circle. The bounded field was ten meters wide and fifteen meters high, which covers more space so that the small clearing would also be protected. In addition, he also placed several traps in certain areas around the clearing within the bounded field.

That way, the spawns would be delayed momentarily, giving him and his retainers more time to make their escape.

The bounded field mostly consisted of magical and physical interference, and he casted about ten of them (five of each) to prevent any living creature (other than humans and his retainers) from being near the teleportation circle. Hadrian had a feeling that the spawns might bulrush through the boundary line, so he made ten and layered them on top of the other as a safety precaution.

He even used a bit of his _unique _magical energy to reinforce the barriers, rendering them stronger than normal.

The magical traps on the ground would trigger in a similar way to a mine bomb would. The traps were not design to explode, but to restrain the target's movements. At first, he had thought about using bombs, but he discarded the idea since he didn't want to risk jostling the island due to the effects of the explosion.

The safety nets might be over the top, but against the spider's spawns, Hadrian was not even sure it was enough, despite his efforts.

Still, as he reviewed his work, the young mage still felt a foreboding sensation that won't go away.

Recalling his grandfather's advice helped him calmed down somewhat. He was still kind of nervous, but it was not as much as it was before when he stepped foot unto the island. The beat of his heart rang loudly in his ears as he took in the sight crimson light blinking in the darkness, as if it was right next to his ears.

He felt a trickle of sweat slid down the side of his neck, making him clench his right hand in reflex as he ignored the urge to wipe it.

Laying a hand over his heart, Hadrian took a deep breath and closed his eyes, counting from one to ten in his mind.

When he opened them again, his heart was calm and his thoughts were silenced.

"Wish I could get in the zone like that…" A familiar voice commented idly nearby.

Hadrian shifted his gaze and saw Kieran standing to his right with his arms crossed over his chest.

At first sight, he might appear calm and relaxed. But, to an experienced observer, it was the opposite as his body language expressed his anxiousness clearly as the sun would shine in the sky. Signs of tensions were clear, and it can be seen with the way his brows were furrowed, the tight muscles around his shoulders, and the way he shifted his weight on one foot to the other.

The frown of displeasure was the most obvious out of all them.

Taking in the comment, Hadrian just smiled that was touched with a hint of resignation.

The retainer, however, doesn't seemed keen on letting the silence reign over the area again and continued to speak.

"How do ya do it, boss? Rushing in here without hesitation?" Kieran asked, shaking his head slightly in disbelief. "I know I've said this before, but I'm really not cut out for this type of shit."

"I've noticed, Kieran." Hadrian remarked with a hint of amusement in his voice. "As for how… well, I supposed it comes with being a magus. Danger had always been a part of our lives, and death was something that we must always be prepared to face. With every progress we make on our research, the possibility of dying due to it is always there."

Hadrian paused, thinking for a few moments before he let out a chuckle.

"Not that it would stop us from continuing to advance. The same thing can be said with the normal folks. Even if they went through troubled times, they will still try their best to live their lives to the best of their abilities and move on. Mankind's history is a testament to this fact." Hadrian said, giving the retainer a knowing smile.

"Yeah, true." Kieran agreed slowly, a bit skeptical. "But this is different. No humans have ever stepped foot on a territorial alien before."

"Haha, yes. But in my case, I just can't leave the others here without making sure that they can safely escape." Hadrian laughed slightly, wryly amused at his own reason. "I'm well aware that they are well capable of such if the situation calls for it, and I respect that. I guess you can say it's selfish on my part, but I want to help, even if it's dangerous."

Kieran huffed, not knowing whether to be amused or impressed.

In the end, he settled for neither.

"Ya know…" The amber eyed retainer slowly drawled. "That's all well and good, but I'm still not comfortable being here. And for the record, I still think mankind can go to hell for all I care. No offense to present company." He added, seeing the raised brow his liege gave him.

"None taken. And yes, your discomfort is noted, Kieran. You've said as much on our way here." Hadrian said, amused by the retainer's deadpan expression.

"Then, you won't mind if I escape with the others first?" Kieran asked in a weary tone. "I think I've had enough of battles for today."

The moment of silence from his liege didn't really instilled much hope in the retainer though.

"Um…" Hadrian's bright cyan eyes shifted upwards in an attempt to not meet the gaze of a certain servant.

"Boss?" Kieran called, suspicious as to what his liege's was planning.

"Nothing! We'll see when the others get here." Hadrian said with a smile that was too bright for Kieran's liking.

Alarm bells rang in his mind, the amber eyed retainer was not about to let his master get away without a clear answer to his request.

"Oi! What –" Kieran was about to ask, but found himself interrupted.

***BOOM***

***CRASH***

***CLANG***

An explosion of noises caused the master and servant to pay attention to their surroundings.

Amidst the first sound, the familiar sounds of something breaking and metal clashing against another followed almost immediately. The source of the noises came from a certain distance, somewhere far out of sight but close enough for the two to hear it. The crystal trees and the mist that had spread throughout the island made it difficult for them to see where they heard the noises from.

Hadrian picked up Silver Trident in his right hand from its holster, staring in the way where he heard the noises with a calm and observant gaze.

Kieran, who stood near him, was also quick to follow his example.

The retainer already had Dooley in both of his hands, nervous but prepared to assist in the events to come.

Granted, his request earlier had went unanswered, but his loyalty and trust in his master was enough for him to muster the courage to grab his weapon. That, and he also had a strange feeling that, if he pushed the matter, the three withes who-shall-not-be-named might do something to him later.

'_And that's not even including the old man_…' Kieran thought, worried of what the old assassin might say at his cowardice.

Or do, depending on King Hassan's mood.

As if summoned by his thoughts, a mass of dark blue flames suddenly appeared a few meters away in front of them and out came King Hassan, who had his long double-edge sword in one hand while the other held something that was perched on his left shoulder.

Kieran tilted his head as he zoomed in on that 'something', then realization dawned on him when he saw that it was a person.

"Old man, what the fuck?" The retainer began, pointing at the person on his shoulder with his index finger.

"T'was the young mage's request." The old assassin answered, putting down his burden gently on the ground once he was near.

"Of what? To kidnap people?" Kieran asked in a deadpan tone, hands on his hips as he stared at the old man with an incredulous expression.

"Rescue." King Hassan corrected in a stern tone, meeting the amber eyed retainer's gaze with a challenging one of his own.

Noticing that he was out of line, Kieran was quick to let of the subject and raised his hands up in defense, to which the assassin simply huffed at.

Their attention shifted to the person, a man in his early twenties with average features. By his appearance, it seemed that the man was Canadian. Most likely a local, Hadrian assumed.

"Mmmmph!" The man said, his voice muffled due to the cloth covering his mouth.

The poor sap was scared, and it was obvious with the way he flipped his wide-eyed gaze from Kieran, Hadrian and to his savior King Hassan.

Both retainers had no urge to sooth the man's worries, but their master had no such reservations as he was slowly went down on knee and spoke to the man with a smile and gentle tone.

"Ah, sorry 'bout all this." Hadrian said, then pointed his left index finger at the man's forehead.

"Mrph?" The man was confused, brows furrowed as he stared at the finger, almost cross-eyed.

"Just think of this as a bad dream." Hadrian said with a mysterious smile.

The young mage muttered something under his breath and the man's features slowly slackened, relaxing as he was quickly lulled to the realm of dreams. His eyes closed shut and his head lolled to the side as he was put to sleep. Hadrian sighed as he slowly stood up from his kneeling position, dusting off the dirt from his pants.

"So… who the hell is this?" Kieran asked, gesturing to the sleeping man on the ground with his hand.

"I don't know, but he was kidnapped by one of the intruders." Hadrian clarified.

"Ugh… those fucking dirty asses." Kieran groaned, face-palming.

"Yes, well, anyways, we have another one coming." Hadrian said, causing the retainer to look at him in confusion.

"What –"

The sound of feet padding against the surface of the ground interrupted the amber eyed servant for the second time of the day.

Said servant waved his hands in front of him, cursing loudly as he turned away even as Dia appeared from within the crystal forest and dashed towards them.

"Ya know what, fuck it!" Kieran griped, wide-eyed and disgruntled. "I'll just stay my sorry ass to the sidelines then. I'm nothin' but a minor character anyway."

Three people reacted to his low muttering, but only two were amused by it. The other didn't even so much as blinked at the younger retainer's irritation.

After giving the sulking retainer an amused glance, Dia stopped in front of his liege and bowed his head slightly in greeting.

"Milord, I have arrived with what you have requested of me." The Knight of the Love Spot said, straightening his posture a moment later.

"Yes, thank you, Dia. You've done well." Hadrian complimented with a genuine smile, much to the knight's joy.

The knight's elation didn't last long as the young mage directed his gaze at the bundle that was wrapped in a black cloth, to which the former had been cradling gently against his chest.

"Now, let me see what you have there." He instructed, nodding his head slightly to the bundle.

"Ah yes…" Dia said, pulling it away slowly from his chest and presenting it to Hadrian.

Kieran craned his neck slightly to look over his master's shoulder, curious what the knight had brought with him, only to inhale sharply when he saw that the bundle was a sleeping infant.

Hadrian, Dia and Kieran found that as a fortunate thing as it would be troublesome if the baby had been awake. Infants can be unpredictable with their moods, especially when they are in an unfamiliar environment. Who knows how the baby would react when the first thing he or she saw were three strangers and a giant with a scary visage and a big sword.

"The hell? Another one?" The amber eyed retainer muttered.

"Foufou!" The squirrel-like creature on the young mage's shoulder agreed.

"At the risk of sounding repetitive, yes, it's another one." Hadrian replied, a bit distracted as he looked over the babe.

Like before, the young mage casted a spell on the sleeping infant. But this one was designed to search for any abnormalities in the baby's body and spirit.

Hadrian feared that the intruders might have done something strange to the man and the babe, so he simply wanted to make sure that they were truly healthy.

Fortunately, nothing seemed to be amiss apart from one.

Earlier, he noticed that the man appeared to be having a difficulty in breathing. At first, Hadrian assumed that the man was having a slight panic attack, seeing as it can be a natural reaction when one gets kidnapped. Then, he realized that the source of the issue was actually their surroundings.

The air around the island was infused with the Spider's unique magical energy. Magical creatures such as spirits and Phantasmal Beasts would be right at home in the isle, but humans like the man and the baby would not be able to last long if they stay anymore. Breathing in the air here would be akin as to inhaling poison, slowly killing a person in the inside.

It was one of the reasons why the Watch had only observed the Spider from a distance and not up close, seeing as they have yet to find a safe method to do so, even with their resources.

Hadrian himself had only managed to resist the effect due to his magical circuits being partially activated.

When he arrived to the island, Hadrian had already activated about five percent (5%) of his circuits.

It was embarrassing for him to admit it, but he did not realized the effect of the magically infused air until he noticed the man's condition before he had hypnotized him to sleep. He was warned about it by the Chief before he and the others had departed, but it slipped from his mind in favor of his planning and concern for the others.

Hadrian shook his head slightly, disappointed at his own carelessness before he forced himself to focus on his task.

After a few moments, he was satisfied with the results and stepped back.

"Hmm, this little one is okay. They're both okay." Hadrian spoke, meeting Dia's relieved gaze. "Now, I have another task for you, Dia."

"What is it, milord?" Dia asked without hesitation, always ready to follow his liege's command.

"Do you see that portal there?" Hadrian pointed behind him and to the ground where the teleportation circle was drawn.

When Dia looked to where he gestured and nodded in understanding, the young mage continued.

"I want you to use it and take these two to safety. The portal shall take you back to the headquarters. Once you are there, make sure that these two are safe." Hadrian ordered.

"But, what of you and the others, milord?" Dia asked, worry clear on his handsome face.

"We will follow after you. The portal has a 30 seconds timer after it is used. Once it's clear, it'll be ready operational again. So, do not be confused if we are not there immediately after you." Hadrian explained. Then, he nodded his head over to the teleportation circle. "Now go… time is wasting."

"As you command, milord." Dia bowed his head to him before moving to the portal.

"Oi, what about –" A certain amber eyed retainer protested, causing the young mage to sigh in exasperation.

"And take that imbecile with you." Hadrian cut in before the latter could finish.

The retainer in question didn't really minded the interruption as he simply grinned and helped Dia with evacuating the kidnapped humans, picking up the unconscious man from the ground and over his shoulder before following the knight of the lance. Needless to say, Kieran was pleased with the order and was only too happy to follow it, even if he was insulted.

Ignoring the jolly retainer, Hadrian gave the two retainers one last glance to make sure that the transportation was successful.

A bright flash of light later, and the two males were gone, causing Hadrian to avert his gaze and return to observing the crystal forest where he noticed signs of activity.

"Not going to go next, King Hassan?" The young mage inquired, almost as if he was asking the weather.

"No. I shall remain here until you leave." That was the only response he received from the old assassin.

"… Thank you." Hadrian said, giving the terror-inducing figure near him a genuine smile of gratitude.

The old assassin said nothing, opting to be silent as he focused his attention onward, which Hadrian didn't mind since he was already used to the former's behavior.

***BOOM***

***CRASH***

***SCREEECH***

Hadrian's eyes narrowed at the various noises, staring at the crystal trees breaking in the distance.

The crash was followed by an inhuman screech that was unpleasant to hear. He blinked when he felt the ground beneath him vibrate merely by the sound alone. He blinked again when a familiar blue screen came to life, almost obstructing his view of the crystal forest that was a fair distance away from where he stood.

…

[… **Warning** …]

Alien life-forms detected.

Initiating emergency retreat for the Sove–

…

'_No_.' Hadrian denied, dismissing the notice with a subtle swipe of his hand.

Ignoring the automaton's protests in his head, the young mage focused his attention in the direction of where he heard the noises.

Just as Hadrian was about to use an ability to 'see' through the crystal trees, two familiar figures came out. It was Astolfo and Charles, who were running as if bloodthirsty hellhounds were right on their heels. Given what he knew about the alien spawns, it might as well be. Fortunately enough, the two doesn't seemed to be sporting any fatal injuries.

The two servants have small cuts and bruises, and some parts of their clothes were torn and dirtied, but they are in one piece at the least.

"MASTEEEEEER!" Astolfo cried out, looking quite relieved to see him.

A few paces behind him, Charles stared at his friend's back with a resigned expression.

With a quiet sigh, Hadrian waited for a few moments before he sidestepped the pink haired servant's tackle-hug, causing the latter to crash to the ground, face-first. The momentum of his dash seemed to be too much for the servant to handle as Astolfo tumbled and roll on the earth, skidding into a halt near the teleportation circle.

"Uuuurgh…" The pink-haired retainer groaned, butt facing upwards.

Ignoring the prone servant behind him, Hadrian shifted his gaze to Charles, who slowed to a stop in front of him.

"Master, we need to leave!" The cheeky retainer said, panting slightly.

"I know, but the others…" Hadrian trailed off, his eyes narrowing as he looked past the retainer's shoulder when he saw movement in the distance.

"The others are on their way. They're just busy shaking off the rest of those things." Charles explained, straightening his posture once he had recovered his breath.

"Oh hey, granpa! You're here!" Astolfo exclaimed from behind, sounding enthusiastic.

"Hm." Was the old assassin's response to the younger servant.

"Then, prepare to evacuate." Hadrian ordered, ignoring the two servants' interaction behind him. "It won't be long for the others to get here."

"Where's Kieran and Dia?" Charles asked, looking around for any signs of his fellow retainers.

"I told Dia to go on ahead. As for Kieran…" Hadrian trailed off with a sigh, closing his eyes briefly.

The cheeky retainer's face, however, paled as he took in his master's reaction differently.

"… He's dead?" Charles muttered quietly, aghast.

Hadrian face-palmed, then shifted his gaze to the former king, who adopted a grave expression.

"He's not. That fool went along with Dia. Don't just kill a man off like that." Hadrian reproached, his tone exasperated.

"Hehehe… Sorry…" Charles chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head with a sheepish expression.

***BOOM***

"Speaking of which…" The young mage muttered under his breath, stepping pass Charles.

The sound of the explosion was familiar to him. It was similar to the noise of Arturia's 'Strike Air' would sound in action.

Hearing that alone was enough for Hadrian to guess that his three retainers were not that far. He still couldn't see them since the crystal trees kept hindering his view, but the silhouettes and the flashing lights that would appear every now and then were clear indications that something was happening in the distance.

"GO! GO! GO!"

"FUCK!"

"MOVE!"

"I AM FUCKING MOVING!"

Hadrian felt a bead of sweat slid down the back of his head after hearing the shouting match between Arash, Yan Qing and Scáthach.

***SCREECH***

***BOOM***

***BOOM***

A moment after two explosions were heard, familiar figures came out of the crystal forest.

The first Hadrian saw were Medusa and Arturia, who were soon closely followed by Scáthach, Yan Qing and Arash. His retainers immediately saw him and made their way towards him.

Hadrian's attention, however, went to Yan Qing, who looked over his shoulder briefly and threw a magically powered sphere at a tall, dark and menacing creature (which he would assume as a spawn of the Spider's) that was about to pounce on him.

***BAM***

The attack landed and caused the alien to fly back, crashing into the mutated trees and some of its brethren.

The alien spawn screech, obviously annoyed by the attack.

"HAH! EAT SHIT, YA FUCKS!" The younger assassin taunted, smirking triumphantly.

The smirk was wiped off from his face and he ran with a yelp when a few alien spawns replaced the one he had forced back earlier.

It was fortunate that the servant had already entered the boundary line. Otherwise, his moment of victory would have been for naught as the spawns quickly followed after him and the rest, only to be stopped by the bounded field that Hadrian had prepared around the area to delay the creatures.

Speaking of the creatures…

The closest Hadrian could describe about the spawns' appearance would be that of a Spider's. His grandfather had provided him of the Spider's image in the past, and it really was, in truth, similar to a arachnid's. Except, the Ultimate One was forty meters tall, capable of shifting its form to something similar to a UFO and has an outer skin that was superior in any substance found on earth.

In contrast, the spawns were smaller compared to their sire but taller than a grown man, has a dark exterior, but no less aggressive.

Their incessant screeching and murderous auras made him winced though, not expecting the spawns to be that powerful.

The info he was provided with about them clearly didn't do them justice. He could only imagine how strong their sire was.

Things took a turn for the worse when Arash got delayed by one of the creatures.

His retainer was close behind Arturia and was about to enter the boundary line when one of the spawns unexpectedly blocked his path before surrounding him on all sides. Arash appeared startled and surprised, clearly not expecting to get caught in a trap nor for the spawns to be smart enough to spring it up on him.

Arturia, who had just entered the boundary line, sensed something was amiss, causing her to look over her shoulder and notice Arash's predicament.

"STRIKE AIR!" The swordswoman shouted before she attacked.

The wind she called forth pushed two spawns away from Arash, clearing the path for him to escape.

But, before he could, one of the spawns came up behind as soon as he turned around. In one blow, one of the spawn's appendages hit the bowman on the back. The end of the spawn's arm was sharp and it slashed vertically on the retainer's back, causing Arash to cry out in pain as blood spurted out.

The force behind the attack was enough to send the retainer down on the ground, unconscious.

Hadrian's heart stopped for a brief moment as he watched his loyal retainer get dragged away by his assailant by the heel.

"ARASH!?" Astolfo and Charles shouted from behind him.

The young mage stepped forward, angry but more concerned for Arash's safety. Two hands grabbed both of his wrists, forcing Hadrian to shift his attention to Arturia and Scáthach, who were standing beside him. The two women gazed at him with alarm and concern in their eyes.

"Let go!" Hadrian demanded.

But the two didn't, firming their grips instead.

"You can't go there, Master! It's too dangerous!" Arturia argued.

"Even so!" Hadrian insisted, grimacing slightly.

"Be reasonable!" Scáthach scolded, brows furrowing.

"I am, now let go!" Hadrian growled.

When the two still didn't budge, Hadrian was forced to improvise.

In addition to the five, the young mage activated fifty of his magic circuits, letting the od course throughout his body. His bright cyan eyes shifted into a deep crimson, glowing with fatality as a neutral expression settled on his face before he teleported out of their hands, startling Arturia and Scáthach when he vanished in a beautiful display of blue, silver and gold particles.

Hadrian reappeared outside of the boundary line, a few meters away from the bloodthirsty spawns banging their sharp arms on the barrier.

"MASTER?!" Astolfo and Charles shouted in shock.

"BOSS! WAIT!" Yan urgently called.

"IT'S DANGEROUS!" Medusa warned, her voice was tinged with concern.

An unusual reaction from the normally calm and collected statuesque woman.

Nevertheless, Hadrian ignored their calls and he ran deep into the crystal forest before the spawns behind him could sense his presence.

He could still feel the contract with Arash, which meant that his retainer was still breathing. However, it would not be so if he received too much damage.

Or worse, eaten by the spawn.

The bodies that his grandfather made for the servants might be stronger and on a different level (almost akin to a human in peak condition, or that of a first rank homunculi), but it was still made of flesh and has its limitations. Just like when Arash got hit, he was rendered unconscious, proving that he was in the bounds of human limits while in a mortal vessel.

If he received another fatal injury, it might possibly damage his spirit core and kill him.

Killing Arash while in his mortal body would end the master-servant contract, something that Hadrian was high-bent on preventing.

The issue would not have been so dire if Arash managed to stay awake after receiving that blow. The bowman could have simply turned into his astral form to save himself from such a scenario, but it did not turned that way. Hadrian only had himself to blame for giving the retainers such an order. He was, after all, the one to urge them to venture into the island in their mortal forms.

'_And now… I'm paying for it!_' The young mage thought, angry at his own incompetence.

He shook his head, ridding his mind of thoughts of self-doubt and blame.

He would have plenty of time to do that later. Granted, the others would probably teased him about him sulking in his room again, overthinking things and on what-ifs, but he will deal with it later.

Now, the others need his help, especially Arash, and Hadrian would prefer to do it without such ideas in mind.

Distractions would only hinder him right now rather than help.

With his body reinforced with prana, Hadrian made haste to chase after the looming figure of the spawn that had knocked out Arash, which was also dragging the unconscious retainer on the ground. It was not difficult for him to find the two as he came upon them a few moments later.

The spawn had one of its long spider-like legs raised above Arash's head, obvious in its intent to finish off the unconscious servant.

With no hesitation, Hadrian charged forward and pointed the Silver Trident in his right hand at the creature.

'**Code Cast: Bomb...!**' He chanted in his mind.

***BOOM***

***SCREEECH***

The spell landed right on the spawn's spider-like face, causing the creature to be blown away from Arash, who was still unconscious and bleeding on the ground.

Hadrian went on the move to grab the servant, but only managed to take a few steps before something hit him in his midsection. He felt the shards of tree crystals dug into skin as he crashed into them before the momentum of the attack stopped and he dropped to the ground into a helpless heap.

His spectacles flew away from his face, exposing his naked eyes to his surroundings.

Almost immediately after, an excruciating headache came down on his head, nearly knocking him out. The images his mystic eyes kept sending him was too much for his brain to process all at once, forcing him take deep breaths and blinked through the overloaded sensations.

Even though beads of sweat fell down his face and his face was set into a grimace, he did his best to endure and powered through the pain.

"Urgh…" He grunted, slowly and painfully shifted his gaze upwards to see what attacked him.

It was one of the spawns, much to his chagrined. It was black all over, but a bit bigger and taller in form than the one he blew away.

Hadrian had difficulty to see the damn thing since the area was too dark, and the only lighting was the crimson glow that came from deep within the island, reflecting off the crystal trees. His magical sense had also been kind off, no thanks to the Spider's magical energy mixed into the mist.

The thing growled at him, as if displeased that he was still alive before it ran towards him with the intent to kill.

Hadrian tried to get up, but his body worked against him as his nerves seemed to be paralyzed, failing to respond in kind whenever he pushed himself off of the ground.

'_Damn this body_…' He cursed in his mind.

His soul might have retained the divine essence of the Lucis Caelum bloodline, but his body had yet to adjust. It was why he trained himself beyond the limit, but obviously, it was not enough for him to endure a direct hit from a powerful foe. Never mind it being a spawn of an Ultimate One. Then again, there might other things in play as to why his physical resistance wasn't working as it should be.

Heedless of his assumptions, it was not the time for him to muse.

The few times he tried to get up, the spawn was already three feet away from him.

But, Hadrian didn't expect to be saved by his familiar though.

His little white fluffy familiar, Fou, ran and stood in front of him. She was on all fours, and he can tell that she was currently aggressive due to the way her fluffy tail was raised up.

"Fou! Fou! Grrr!" Fou barked at the spawn.

The sight would have looked comical, seeing as there was a little squirrel-like creature barking bravely at an alien spawn that could kill the former with just one stab of its leg.

To his astonishment however, the spawn flinched backwards at her sudden appearance, screeching in a way that seemed as if it was scared of her.

The emotions in its screeches was obvious. The way it coward back even as it tried to go move forward, the high pitch in its screeches that was never there before. The bloodlust he felt from it earlier didn't seemed to be as prominent as it was before, which caused him to wonder why it was reacting that way to his familiar.

The spawn raised two of its legs and tried to take a step forward, but Fou had beaten it by barking continuously at it, growling all the while as she forced the former to back off.

Hadrian didn't even noticed that he had sat up, watching with a dubious expression as his tiny familiar made a spawn of an Ultimate One retreat back deep into the crystal forest. He was curious as to why that was, but something else caught his attention. He can feel it in the air as he shifted his gaze upwards.

'_What the hell_…?'

He had no clear words to describe the feeling, but there was something in the air that sending signals towards the spawns.

It was almost as if… something was calling them to return to where they had been before the island was intruded.

He can't hear the signals as there was no sound for him to notice, but there was some sort of buzzing in the air that can only be sensed via magic sense.

***THUD* *THUD* *THUD***

***THUD* *THUD* *THUD***

***THUD* *THUD* *THUD***

The continuous sounds of something hitting the ground made him frown, causing him to turn away from his musing to the left where he noticed movement.

Hadrian leaned back in surprise when he saw a small horde of spawns was running in his direction.

He was about to pick up his familiar and run, but he was, once again, treated to another sight.

The small horde of spawns split into two when they had reached his location by five feet, running pass by them like a river around a rock. It didn't escape Hadrian's noticed that Fou was in front of him, looking cute yet aggressively protective as she glared at the spawns that didn't even stop to target them.

When he watched the last of the spawns disappear, he looked around before he turned back to Fou, who sat on her hindquarters and was now looking at him with those big purple eyes of her.

"Fou…"

Feeling at a lost, Hadrian let out a sigh and slowly stood up, picking up Fou in his hand as he did so.

"I guess we should go back now." He said, smiling when his familiar cooed at him in agreement.

There were many questions running through his mind, but he would deal with it later as he still had things to take care of.

His unconscious servant several feet away from him for one, who he had nearly forgotten no thanks to the events that occurred earlier.

Even as he moved to help Arash, the bitterness at his powerlessness earlier made him somber throughout the entire day.

…

* * *

…

Looking down at the young mage's form, Jester Karture smirked from his vantage point.

He had survived the Schweinorg heir's attack earlier and had proceeded to follow him into the island in secret. The Dead Apostle had to admit, the young mage had not held back in his assault. Some of the fatal injuries he received from the feisty youngling were still healing, but it would take a lot more than a couple of spells to truly kill him.

Still, his efforts to follow after the young man had not been in vain and he was treated to something wholly interesting.

Seeing the spider's spawns chase after the young mage was amusing, but what happened after was something he did not quite expected.

The Spider had called off its spawns to prevent the young mage from being killed. If it were anyone, this kind of scenario would not have been possible. Ultimate Ones are not exactly known for their benevolent temperaments, seeing as intruding on their territories was akin to suicide. Jester tried it multiple times in the past, and his efforts only got him killed in the end.

But alas, it did happened for the young man and Jester knew the reason why.

The young mage was being favored by the world.

Having received the favor of the world, even if one was unaware of it, was a great boon to have. With Gaia's favor and blessing, the young man was safe as he can be from anything that can possibly harm him, especially from those that received backup from her. Even venturing into an Ultimate One's territory would be an easy tour for the young man.

Case in point, the scene that occurred earlier.

Which brings him to another problem…

"I suppose she was right…" Jester mused out loud. "Confrontations here is meaningless. It would be better to proceed the plan to the next phase instead."

He shifted his gaze to the kneeling form of the Schweinorg heir, who was healing his injured retainer with magecraft.

"Enjoy your freedom while you can, young man. You might have won for now, but next time won't be so easily won."

With one last glance at his target, Jester Karture turned on his heel and walked away from the scene, disappearing into the darkness of the crystal forest without anyone being the wiser.

…

* * *

…

[… **Omake (3)** – **A** **Bun's Moment**…]

Hugo Faust and Edward Miles stared at the white fluffy familiar, who was placed atop of a high stool and staring back at them in return.

The two mages looked at each other, then turned back to the rotund familiar seated in front of them.

After a minute of staring, they turned back to each other.

"Are you sure we're safe with… this little fella?" Edward asked, unsure.

"I'm sure we are." Hugo stated, yet also looking unsure as he continued under his breath. "At least, I hope so…"

"What even is this?" Edward said, brows furrowed.

"That, I don't know." Hugo shook his head. "My lord Zelretch said that Ryu here was created by the young master's uncle."

"Wasn't he the practitioner of the First Magic?" Edward asked, recalling a bit of info in the past.

"Yes, therefore, this little fella must be special." Hugo paused, continuing on after a second of silence. "…despite its appearance."

"Why does it have to be a bun though?" Edward mumbled under his breath, brows knitting as he tried to make sense of what he was seeing.

"That, I also don't know." Hugo sighed.

"Magicians sure are difficult to understand. Their artistic senses is probably in a different world from us common mages." Edward stated, frowning thoughtfully.

"That, I wholeheartedly agree." Hugo nodded with a wry smile, recalling his liege's eccentricities.

…

* * *

…

In an unknown location, a young woman dressed in a gothic attire titled her head in confusion.

"Hmm… is it just me or does that boy just like to sit around?" She asked her male companion beside her.

"He simply might be content in letting those companions of his do the rest of the work." He suggested, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Hmm… perhaps…" She relented.

It was quiet for a few moments before…

"I'm bored. Fetch me something to eat, Baz!" She ordered impudently.

"What kind of food?" He asked, brows furrowed in curiosity.

He was only consenting to her demand since he was getting hungry as well.

"I don't know, get me a meat bun then!" She grinned at the idea.

"… Why?" He asked, looking at her with furrowed brows.

"I just feel like it!" was her only reason.

For some reason, there seemed to be an inside joke at play here, and he has this feeling that the young woman was not even aware of it.

Although, at the same time, she does seemed to be amused by the idea.

…

* * *

** Author's Note**

* * *

…

**Well, that's another chapter down.**

**I know, it's quite long. I actually thought about releasing half of this chapter a month ago, but it didn't felt right for me when I read through it. Also, things in rl got in the way and my sickness didn't really helped me at all, so I've decided to hold off in updating before I'm satisfied with this chapter.**

**This chapter is worth 27k of words. See how two months of delayed update can do? It's amazing, really.**

**Now, let's discuss of the content of this chapter for a bit.**

**As I'm sure you've all noticed, Kieran's true identity is that servant. I know that Avenger is from a different Fate franchise, but I wanted him to be present in this story.**

**I think I've already said this before, but this story is like a mesh of Fate/Extra and Strange Fake, and others bits from other fate series too. The characters that appeared in different Fate franchises are chosen to appear in the story because I either like them enough to be so, or because there's a reason for it. It's either one or the other, really.**

**In Angra Mainyu's case, it's the latter. You guys shall see the reason why in the future, so hold off that question for the moment. I know he's a bit OOC here, but that's because I'm still learning his character and it's difficult to ascertain his personality if you don't research him well enough.**

**In King Hassan's case, it's the former. He's not a Grand Servant in this story. Just an ordinary one, but still stronger than most.**

**As for the last scene of this chapter, I want to show you guys that Hadrian, for all of his powers, is still weak. Yes, he's got all those abilities, weapons and is quite the schemer, but there will always be someone (or in this case, something) powerful than him and things will not always go to plan.**

**His near death experience here is a testament to that.**

**Remember his wish when he won the Moon Grail war? What happened in the last part of this chapter is connected to that.**

**By having Fou on his side, Hadrian was basically saved by Gaia's influence here, preventing him from being lunch of the Spider's spawns.**

**When Fou stood against them, the Spider sensed her presence through its spawn and promptly told its children to back off, out of its respect to Gaia. Remember, Fou is a creation of Gaia, which the Spider had felt the instant she faced down the spawn. What happened in that last scene can be deemed as a butterfly effect.**

**When Hadrian made a wish to restore the world back to its natural state, he unknowingly gained the world's favor and he was saved because of the result of his own decision.**

**If he didn't made that wish, he would have died along with Arash when he was under the spawn's mercy. Or at least, leave the island wounded.**

**I summarized the situation in Jester's point of view since he's watching (stalking) Hadrian from a far distance. I hope this clears up any misunderstanding in the last part.**

**Now, you might wonder why Hadrian couldn't have used his unique connection to the Root to power up his spell with True Magic essence. The reason that he didn't is because he does not want to agitate the Spider into a full awakening. Do recall that the air surrounding the island is infused with the Spider's magical energy.**

**If Hadrian casted a spell with the energy of the True Magic, it'll be a one-way ticket to triggering a grouchy Spider. We don't want that.**

**Oh, and that bit with formal clothes with a different servant class skill, I took a page out of that one from canon.**

**If you guys had seen the gameplay of Fate/Extella Link, you'll know what I mean. The MC there (Hakuno) has that option to install different kinds of abilities (or code cast spells) on the formal clothes. I suppose it's a privileged that's only available to whoever owns the Moon Cell.**

**Anyways, it seems I've got the important bits covered in this chapter. So, like always, if you got questions, leave it in the reviews. I'll check them all out once I have the time.**

**And also, feel free to follow, fave or leave a review for this story. Tell me what you think of this chapter in there, or if you have other questions.**

**That's all for now. I'll see you all in the next chapter. Stay safe and healthy until then.**

**Thanks for tuning in, guys! Adieu for now! :)**

…

* * *

** Q & A**

* * *

…

**Robobot:**

**A** – Thanks. Glad you're liking the progress of the story so far! :)

…

**KingAllen:**

**A** – My response is late, but I am glad to be back. Thanks! :)

…

**fruitspunchsamurai-987:**

**A** – He is bullshit.

The Berserker version was already bullshit enough, but then the devs had gone ahead and showed us a glimpse of his Archer version, albeit corrupted in nature.

…

**Dxhologram:**

**A** – Kind of, but not really ;)

…

**Shiroyasha Rises:**

**A** – I've thought about that, but it didn't really felt right for me in this chapter.

There were some parts here where Hadrian fights, but they ended up short.

In the upcoming chapters, preferably when he's surrounded by his servants, I think that's when I'll let him have the spotlight.

…

**Kensei-1085**:

**A** – No, it's the Fate/Extra (Lancer) version in this story. He looks dignified there too, but insane.

I've thought about using his Berserker version, but it didn't felt right. Vlad III of Apocrypha looks sane and dignified, which made me confused when he turned out as a Berserker in FGO since he didn't looked quite insane to me. More like the opposite of one. I dunno what the devs were thinking on that one.

I feel like the devs played around with his character design when it comes to Vlad. His Lancer version was the insane one, yet his Berserker self has the appearance of a sane dignified man.

…

**The Loud Person:**

**A** – Yeah, but Moriarty's dead here now.

I had to kill him off since it would be too troublesome if he lives long enough to make some serious problem for our dear MC.

Although, just because he's dead now doesn't mean there won't be any more trouble coming from him.

I also wish that the devs would finally release Alcides official Archer version. The one in Fate/Strange Fake is corrupted and is already bullshit.

I want to see the genuine article in FGO! :)

…

**Gen2324:**

**A** – I'm thinking about it. The story (this story) is sort of diving into the events of Fate/Strange Fake, but only by a small margin.

I'll admit, I'm not really familiar with the story line of FSF. I've only seen bits of the manga, but from what I can tell, the plotline is kind of messy.

The characters shown there were all cool and unique, but the plot itself seems… ambitious, from what I can tell so far.

The only reason I've decided to include the characters in FSF is because they, more or less, fit into the roles I've planned for them. Not because of the plot in canon.

I've read a bit about Hippolyta, and she seems unique. Quite different from Penthesilea, that's for sure.

I will need to research her background a bit more if I want her to have a role in the story. If you know something about her, feel free to let me know since any info can help. The stuff I've found out bout her were from wikipedia and type moon wiki, so any little trivia that are not commonly known about her can help.

…

**Journey to the End:**

**A** – Yeah, it's quite the turnaround for those two, isn't it?

First, it was Berserker who was protecting Ilya in UBW. Then, it's Gil who protected a girl in FSF.

Irony of irony, if you ask me.

…

**Urek** | **Lu**:

**A** – Geez, is it just me or does Poseidon like to break innocent maidens and turn them mentally unstable?

First, it was Medusa, now it's Caenis. Well, at least Medusa turned out okay in the end. Can't say much the same for Caenis.

Still, as much as I feel sorry for what happened to her, that doesn't exactly excuse what she had done. She may have legitimate reasons for acting the way she is, but if she does the same thing that was done to her, then she's not any better than Poseidon. If anything, she's worse than him, cause she had experienced that worst situation yet she does it to innocent people anyways.

No hesitation whatsoever. I've yet to actually see anything redeemable about her, but I'll give her the benefit of doubt and withhold my judgment on her character.

Also, I find her annoying for some reason. Maybe it's because her childishness? Her terrible personality? Or the fact that she nearly attacked Ritsuka that one time for no reason?

(To Urek) Reading the things you said about her background, her decision to take out her frustrations in life by becoming a tyrant king seemed like an immature reason in my opinion, especially when she harmed innocent people during her reign. I'm not even surprised that she got herself killed because of her terrible personality and character she had been alive.

It is fine to sympathize with her situation, but don't forget her sins when she had been a tyrant king.

Anyways, thanks for the info on her, you two. I appreciate it. I'd give you both cookies for your efforts to educate me about her, but there's a pandemic going on, so I'll just settle for kudos instead.

Kudos to you two! :D

…

**sugoijack9:**

**A** – Maybe ;D

But it ain't going to be a war like you're thinking of though.

…

**With that done, I'll see you all in the next chapter.**

**I bid you all adieu! :D**


	16. Chapter 15 — A Rather Chaotic Day

...

**Yo, and welcome to another chapter of TPoM! :D**

**Seems like I worried you lot with my AN in the last chapter. Sorry bout that, but I'm really fine. My family as well.**

**As for life itself, it's still the same, but eh, what can you do? Everyone has it hard these days.**

**Anyways, I'm going to stop rambling here and just let you guys be. So, enjoy this new chapter worth of 10k.**

**And please, don't forget to follow, fave, and (or) leave a review once you're done reading! :)**

…

* * *

**Chapter 15 – A Rather Chaotic Day**

* * *

…

"Are you serious right now, pinky?! You just killed yourself by doing that!"

"Shut up! Those are my QPs and I'll do what I want with it!"

"Leave him be. You ain't going to be convincing him to save up on those things anyway."

"… Kieran, you're my bruh!"

"It'll be more amusing to see him bawl his eyes out later on when a great banner comes up though!"

"Turncoat!"

Hadrian sighed, leaning against the car window to watch the scenery passed by.

He and the others had just came back from Canada after a two-day tour that some of his retainers had insisted upon. After several hours of flight back to England, he and the others were escorted out of the airport by a small group of private personnel that were all under his grandfather's employment.

Now, he and the others were on their way back to the Schweinorg.

While his retainers were all seated around him, doing whatever they want, Hadrian busied himself in musing over the events that occurred previously.

"Give me your quartz, fam!"

"No!"

"Get your own, assface!"

He would greatly appreciate it if his retainers kept their peanut gallery on a minimum level though.

With a soft click of his tongue, Hadrian glanced over his shoulder and saw his three of his servants roughhousing in the back of the small bus that had been lend over to them.

"You three better not resort to using your powers." The young mage called in a warning tone, eyes narrowing slightly for emphasis. "We are in a public area right now, so you better behave yourselves for now. If you want to knock each other's lights out, do it later once we get home."

His words jolted Astolfo, Yan Qing, and Kieran by surprise.

"Ah, sorry, Master!" Astolfo said with a sheepish grin.

"Sorry, boss…" Yan and Kieran relented with sighs of their own.

The three then looked at another again and began arguing amongst themselves, albeit in a quieter yet furious pace.

Face-faulted, Hadrian sighed at his retainers' antics and turned around on his seat to return watching the scenery.

"They nearly just got killed in the island and they're already raring to go against one another…" Hadrian said with a shook of his head.

Charles, who was seated beside him, chuckled at his expense.

"Ah, but don't you think that's one of their charming points?" He asked with a grin.

"Charming?" Hadrian asked incredulously, quirking one brow up. "They're about to rumble in the back, and you think that's charming?"

"It's their way to relax?" Charles offered jokingly.

"I saw the sparks in their hands." Hadrian said offhandedly, brows furrowed slightly. "Those bloody fools were really about to duke it out over a game."

"Ahaha, fair point!" Charles conceded with a laugh, looking sheepish yet amused.

A few moments of silence settled upon them as Hadrian turned back to staring at the window.

The retainer beside him, however, noticed the look of contemplation in his liege's eyes and couldn't help himself from speaking out.

"Why the long face, master? We just got out of a near death situation, you should be celebrating." Charles inquired, tilting his head in curiosity.

"I'm just reviewing the events in my head." Hadrian answered in a low tone.

"Is it that interesting?" Charles asked.

"More like worrying." Hadrian corrected, shifting his gaze to the retainer. "That situation almost spiraled out of control. Is it not concerning for you?"

"It is." Charles admitted, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked back on recent events. "But since I don't have the answers yet, why worry about it now?"

Hadrian looked at him for a few seconds before he let out a resigned sigh.

"I guess life is simple for a soldier." Hadrian commented.

"A knight, milord." Charles corrected with his trademark cheeky grin.

"A knight then." Hadrian amended with a wry smile.

Their conversation got cut off when his mobile phone rang, causing Hadrian to take it out of his pocket and open the screen.

"Hello?"

"Young master? Please hurry home!" A female voice said in an urgent tone.

"Hm? Why, what's wrong?" Hadrian asked with furrowed brows, suddenly attentive.

"It's Lord Schweinorg! His health –"

"I'm on my way." Hadrian said before he cut the line.

Then, he turned to look at Charles, who was watching him with a concerned expression.

"Tell the driver to move fast."

…

* * *

…

While calm on the outside, Hadrian can still feel his heart pounding at a fast rate.

His retainers were behind him only a few steps away, while Hadrian was at the front.

His footsteps echoed just as loudly as his nervous heart as he walked up to the small steps that leads to his home. The Schweinorg castle was all white, about five stories tall and majestic in its form on both inside and out. The caste was situated on a private property that was well away from the town by hundred kilometers. Near the castle was a private beach that was on the ground level.

When Hadrian finally reached the front entrance, he went inside and made his way to the lounge area where he was told to go.

A bit of his anxiety showed on his face as he made that final turn.

Hadrian felt his heart drop to his stomach when he came upon the sight of his grandfather lying on the couch. Two female homunculi servants were behind him, keeping his grandfather cool with large fans on their hands. At first, Hadrian thought he was being pranked, but the solemn expressions on the occupants' faces told him otherwise.

Slowly, Hadrian entered the room and approached his maternal grandfather, whose eyes were covered by a towel for some reason.

As if sensing his presence in the room, his grandfather shifted from his position and spoke.

"Child, is that you? Have you arrived?" Zelretch asked, almost hoarse.

"I'm here, I'm here." Hadrian said in a soft tone, taking a seat on the black wooden coffee table that was in front of the couch.

"I see… I'm glad to see you have returned home safely." Zelretch smiled.

"Thank you. But, how are you doing?" Hadrian asked, concerned for his grandfather's condition.

"Just as well." Zelretch said before he coughed a few times. He leaned back down when he was done, sighing. "Nothing could be done about this, child."

"Yes, but that won't stop me from trying." Hadrian stated solemnly.

In response, the old magician merely grinned at the determination in his voice.

"Get some rest, opa." Hadrian suggested. "We can speak later when you're better."

Zelretch was about to speak when a loud feminine sigh cut in, causing Hadrian to turn his head to the open doorway.

In turn, Hadrian didn't see his grandfather's body stiffened and gain a nervous expression as his attention went to the person who had just entered into the room.

Said person was a beautiful woman with long, wavy black hair and bright purple eyes.

She was a head taller than him, and has a flawless, porcelain complexion similar to his own. She has a healthy physique, bearing a curvy hourglass figure that was almost a man's ideal. Her features were also just as flawless, striking and delicate even if she was wearing almost no make-up at all.

Her long black hair was done in a small elegant bun, some of her wavy locks framed the side of her face, which only amplified her beauty further. She wore a long, black dress that hugged her form, and a pair of high heels that was a few inches high. Her ears and left wrist were decorated with small diamond earrings and a gold elegant bangle.

Hadrian smiled at her appearance.

It was his mother, **Lucia Aelfryth von Schweinorg**.

Even after giving birth to him, his mother had remained untouched by the effects of time. She was just as beautiful as the day he had seen her pictures when she was still below twenty. It did made him wonder if his mother had uncovered a secret to maintain her youthfulness.

Then again, she is a talented mage, so he would not be surprised if she made her own.

"Mama…" Hadrian greeted her, standing up from his seat to embrace her.

Lucia returned her son's smile, hugging him before kissing his forehead.

"My son, I'm glad you have returned home." She said warmly.

"Sorry for being away for long." Hadrian said, smiling apologetically.

"That's quite alright. I'm sure your duties have kept you busy." Lucia said in light tone. "I hope you would remain at home for a while. I have not seen much of you these past few months. I would rather have you around while dear ol' papa here is being obnoxious. He's been unbearable lately, and I can only take so much jokes from your opa in one day."

Hadrian chuckled, a similar reaction that was shared by some of his retainers, who managed to keep themselves quiet by the sidelines.

Although, he did wonder what his mother meant by that last part.

As if on cue, Lucia leaned to the left to shift her gaze upon her father, who had been strangely quiet throughout their conversation.

She lifted one of her hands from her son's shoulder and pointed her index towards the old magician.

Small black tendrils of magical energy started to gather in front of her well-manicured fingertip and –

***BANG***

"ACK!?" Zelretch yelped both in pain and surprise, suddenly sitting up on the couch as he rubbed the spot where he got hit by a powerful Gandr shot.

The white towel that covered his eyes fell from his face, displaying his wide crimson eyes that were currently alight with pain.

"Don't you think you've had enough fun teasing your grandson like this? He must've rushed all the way to here just to see you." Lucia remarked in a flat tone.

"Ah, Lucia! Why do you have to be so violent to your papa?!" Zelretch complained, then swiftly turned to face a large painting of a beautiful woman with long dark brown hair and green eyes that was hanging at the top of the large fireplace. "Oh my dear sweet wife, our daughter has grown beautiful yet abusive. Where did we ever go wrong in raising her?"

Lucia clicked her tongue, looking annoyed by the old mage's words.

"This daughter of yours will soon fire off many gandr shots at you if you don't stop anytime soon~" His mother said in a sing-along tone.

Sensing that his life was about to be in danger, the old mage surrendered, shivering at the sweet (wicked) smile that his daughter had graced upon him.

Hadrian, who was watching the two interact, looked on the scene with a deadpan expression.

"So, he's not…?" He trailed off, looking at his mother questioningly.

"No, he's just faking it." Lucia answered with a small smile. "Being the prankster he is, your opa here probably thought it would be funny to see you rush in here, all ruffled up."

"Hmph…" was the only contribution that old magician had as he crossed his arms over his chest, looking like petulant child who was denied of his fun.

Knowing that he got his answer, Hadrian sighed as he suddenly felt tired for some reason.

The way some of his retainers were giggling and chuckling in the background didn't alleviate his annoyance on the situation.

'_Hmph, those traitors_…' Hadrian thought, noting how some of them didn't meet his glare just to laugh quietly to the side.

His attention promptly returned to his mother, who then turned to face him and cupped his cheek.

"You should go and changed first, little one. I'm sure you'll want to freshen up after coming home." Lucia suggested with a smile.

"Right…" And he did just that, unable to find it in himself to argue with his mother.

…

* * *

…

After a quick shower and a change of clothes, Hadrian went to his grandfather's study.

Most of his retainers had already scattered around the castle, far more interested in doing their own thing than to accompany him into the meeting. The only ones that stood by his side though, were the most faithful to their duties, such as Arturia, Charles, Dia and Medusa, who had escorted him on the way to his grandfather's office.

His two fluffy familiars were both hitching rides on the shoulders of Arturia and Medusa.

Scáthach would have joined him, but she remembered that she had something important to do and left.

Hadrian didn't bother to inquire her what that 'something', seeing as the crimson eyed woman would have told him vague words. Pushing the matter would simply displeased her and Hadrian respected her too much to do that, so he left her to her own devices and didn't ask her any more questions other than to tell her to come to him if there was something she need.

King Hassan had went off somewhere in the castle. Probably by the gardens, considering as the old assassin seemed to be fond of quiet areas to relax in.

As for the others, Hadrian had passed by them, goofing off and playing to their hearts' content on the video consoles they had purchased with the money he gave them a few months ago. Some of his servants had found it difficult to adjust living in the modern era, but after Hadrian had introduced the media to them, they had gained various kinds of hobbies.

Modern entertainment such as movies, music and video games were well-received by them with open arms, particularly by Kieran, Astolfo, Charles, Arash and Yan Qing.

His other servants though, became interested in pursuing other things.

Arturia and Dia were especially interested in the culinary arts, though the former was more interested in eating food than making it most of the time.

Scáthach had found an interest in classical music, though she was more into listening than to play an instrument. Sometimes, the spearwielder can be seen wearing airpods while practicing her moves and runic spells in the private courtyard. She would even sit with his mother and King Hassan by the gardens to relax and converse whatever subject that interest them over a few cups of tea.

Medusa was fond of reading books by the family library, particularly the classic kind of literature. Quite an avid reader, that one.

There was not a day that goes by when Medusa would hang out in the family library to read books. Hadrian also frequent the library, but his interest lies in the private section where various subjects on magecraft that were there, courtesy of his father and grandfather. The female servant, however, would simply read the ordinary kind of books as she was not interested in learning magecraft.

His thoughts in how his retainers were using their free time came to a pause when he and the others had arrived to his grandfather's study.

Hadrian glanced behind him once, meeting his retainers gaze before he turned back to the twin doors and rapped the back of his knuckles against the wood twice.

"Opa?" He called.

"Come in, come in!" The old magician said from behind the doors, prompting Hadrian to open them.

Of course, upon his entrance, it goes without saying that his grandfather's private study was just as luxurious as the one he has in the Clock Tower.

The walls and floors were made of dark polished wood. There were a few tapestries with the Schweinorg coat of arms stitched in fine gold that decorated the walls, along with several bookshelves filled to the brim of magical tomes and personal notes of his grandfather's research in magecraft and true magic.

Covering most parts of the floor was a soft, red velvet carpet. Two leather couches were in the center of the study with a glass coffee in between.

Above the coffee table was a small chandelier that would emit a soft, but vibrant light once the night arrive. Further up the couches were two chairs, designed with soft cushions and detailed carving. In front of the two chairs was a desk and a black leather chair, which the latter had his grandfather sitting upon it.

Behind his grandfather's back was a large window that overlooked the private courtyard of the white castle. Since it was still daytime, most of the light from the outside kept the room bright and clear.

The young mage stepped inside the office and saw his grandfather, his mother and, much to his slight surprise, Hugo Faust, who was seated in one of the two chairs in front the desk.

At the sight of his grandfather, Hadrian resisted the urge to sigh, though some of his retainers were not so restrained in their reactions as they smirked and chuckle in amusement.

The reason was due to the red handprint that was on his grandfather's right cheek.

Looking at his mother's calm yet beatific smile that exudes satisfaction and the way his grandfather keeps glancing warily at her from time to time, Hadrian can already tell that there was a story behind their actions. The old magician had done something to annoy his dear mother, again. Hence, the bright red handprint that was on the former's cheek.

Instead of making a comment about it, he turned his attention to Hugo instead.

The other magus waved at him with a welcoming smile.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Faust." Hadrian greeted, giving the man a slight nod.

"A good afternoon to you as well, young master." Hugo returned.

"If I recall, weren't you at the Watch?" Charles asked, quirking one brow up as he followed behind his liege.

"I was, but I've been summoned here by Lord Schweinorg almost after you had all departed and visited some of Canada's iconic locations. Milord wanted me to relay a full report in person, so I flew to here after I was done with my business at the Watch. I just arrived yesterday, actually. Jet-lag and all." Hugo explained with a wry smile.

Hadrian simply hummed at response, while his retainers went voiced their acknowledgement by either nodding or other gestures.

He then shifted his attention to his mother, who stood near the old mage by the desk, sending her a smile that was returned just as warmly before he turned to his grandfather.

Silently, he gestured for the other free chair as he looked at his grandfather questioningly.

"You may." Zelretch said, nodding towards the seat.

Upon permission, Hadrian sat on the chair, leaning back to make himself comfortable.

His retainers went and occupied the couches behind him, but their attention were on his grandfather, who cleared his throat and began to speak.

"Now that you're here, child, we can begin the meeting." Zelretch said, interlacing his hands in front of him.

"What you do wish to know?" Hadrian asked.

"Start from the beginning, do not leave anything out. I wish to know the recent events from your point of view." Zelretch stated, crimson eyes narrowed in focus.

"Very well…" Hadrian said, closing his eyes briefly.

The young mage took a deep breath and began his retelling of the events that occurred in Canada.

First, he began his report by telling them about his investigation in the abandoned mansion of the fallen magi family, the Zepter. Next, the retainers' encounters in the murder areas, what occurred in the Watch's underwater headquarters and on the Spider's island and more.

Then, after recounting the events one by one, he informed them of his suspicions regarding the enemy servants, Jester Karture, and the unknown arcane spells.

His words caused the usually mischievous elder magician to don a solemn and calculating mask, which looked strangely eerie to anyone who have not seen him turned serious before.

It was not just his grandfather. His mother, who had been mostly silent throughout his report, now appeared solemn as well, but there was a hint of worry that leaked through her calm mask.

"Are you sure of this?" Zelretch asked, his tone wholly absent of mischief.

"I am." Hadrian confirmed, looking thoughtful as he glanced to the side. "It's the only thing that makes sense."

Hadrian was about to continue, but paused when he noticed Hugo's questioning look.

Noticing where his eyes were and the hesitant expression on his face, Zelretch huffed before speaking.

"It's alright, enkel. Hugo is trustworthy. You can as well." The old magician pitched in for his subordinate, leaning back into his chair with arms crossed over his chest. "Continue your explanation."

"Ah, yes." Hadrian looked a bit surprised, but quickly regained his composure as he continued where he left off. "As I was saying, the automaton was unable to identify the arcane spells that were left in some of the murder locations and on those servants' cloaks. It only does that if the object does not belong on earth."

"Then, what if it's of alien origin?" Lucia asked.

"Possible, but it has a low chance that it came from this dimension. I have already ran through the calculations of such a possibility with the automaton, and even that thing was not convinced." Hadrian reasoned, recalling the Moon Cell's bafflement over the issue with a bemused expression.

"Hmm, if it so, then this coincides with Lorelei's findings." Zelretch stated with a sigh.

"Lady Lorelei? What did she found, opa?" Hadrian inquired, blinking in surprise at the mention of his mentor.

"Do you recall when I told you about her bothering a colleague of mine?" Zelretch asked instead.

"Yes." Hadrian nodded slowly, remembering their talk over the phone a few days ago in perfect clarity.

"Well, it seems that the Queen heard murmurs of something interesting while she was 'visiting' Rita." The old magician stated.

"And what is that, papa?" Lucia asked, bright purple eyes alight with interest.

"When they had been fighting, Lorelei found out from Rita that there was someone intruding upon her territories. Perhaps it might be related to this Jester Karture you are speaking of. It's a possibility that we can't simply discard." Zelretch said in a thoughtful tone, rubbing his bearded chin with his right hand.

"Then, the reason why Rita ventured into human locations…" Hadrian trailed off, his eyes widening slightly as the realization dawned on him.

"It was to find the intruder, yes." Zelretch clarified with a nod. Then, he sighed, frowning in irritation. "But, in the end, she didn't managed to catch them since Lorelei blocked her before she could even go deep in her investigation. That brat kept calling me ever since Lorelei destroyed almost half of her castle, demanding me to pay for the damages your mentor had caused."

"And did you pay, milord?" Hugo asked, almost hesitant to know the numbers.

"Course not!" Zelretch denied, giving him a deadpan stare. "Why the hell would I pay for the damages the Queen made over there? Rita can kiss the Spider's nasty alien ass before that could happen. I can hardly believe that that brat is in destitute. Except for the Spider, all 26 Dead Apostles are ridiculously well-off, and that brat is no exception. But, I'm the wealthiest than all of them combined!"

With his loud declaration, a round of chuckles broke out in the room save one.

Hadrian, in particular, wondered what the unknown Dead Apostle named Jester Karture was truly after and, most importantly, his motives.

"Oh, by the way, you should go visit your mentor, enkel. She'll want to know that you've arrived here now." Zelretch began, snapping Hadrian out of his thoughts.

"Ah, right." Hadrian said with a small nod. "Then, is there anything else, opa?"

"Yes, a few things, but we can speak of them later after your visit." Zelretch stated with a wave of his hand.

Hadrian was about to say farewell before he stopped as a thought came to mind.

"Ah, before I go, here." The young mage said, pulling something out of his pocket before he laid it down on his grandfather's desk.

Three pair of eyes settled upon a small black piece of device, blinking a few times before they turned to the calm-looking young man in confusion.

"Why the flash drive, young master?" Hugo asked for Lucia and Zelretch.

"That flash drive was found when it fell out of a rogue servant's pocket." Hadrian explained, briefly recalling how Arash passed the item to him a few days ago. "Arash managed to pick that up after he and the others killed him. I've already hacked through it, so there's no need to worry about any firewalls and whatnot inside that thing. I took a quick look inside, and there's a lot of stuff in it."

"Of what kind? Porn? Ack!?" Zelretch cried out in surprise and pain, quickly rubbing the back of his head where he was smacked.

"Behave yourself, papa." Lucia said sternly, pulling her left hand away that suspiciously glowed with blue prana.

"What? It was a serious, legitimate question!" Zelretch defended, causing Lucia, Medusa and Arturia to look at him with mild disgust.

Hadrian exhaled through his nose, closing his eyes briefly before opening them again.

"No, opa. It's not porn." He deadpanned, ignoring the chuckles from the male retainers behind him. "Inside that storage seems to be blueprint for plans and captured images of ritual circles. I think that rogue servant had been taking pictures of the blueprints and the ritual circles in secret. I don't know why though."

At the mention of ritual circles, the two mages and one magician turned to him in attention.

Knowing that he has their undivided attention, Hadrian continued.

"I can't make heads or tails of the blueprints and the ritual circles, so I thought it's better for you to have a look at them instead." Hadrian suggested, inwardly knowing that his grandfather was the more knowledgeable and experienced mage when it comes to anything related to magecraft. "I know some rituals, but I'm no expert when it comes to that."

He had already tried to have the automaton scan the blueprints and the ritual circles, but the results that came up were unsatisfactory.

"Hmm… very well. I'll take a look at this later." Zelretch hummed, then shifted his gaze to his grandson. "But enough of reports. I have to ask, enkel. Are you fine?"

"Hm?" Hadrian blinked, surprised by the sudden question.

"I've heard from Hugo and Edward that you were attacked by the Spider's spawn." Zelretch explained, nodding briefly to the mage in question before turning back to his heir. "So, are you fine?"

"Ah, hm." Hadrian nodded, looking solemn as his gaze lowered to the desk briefly. "Some of my ribs were broken a few days ago, but they're all healed now."

"And your eyes?" Zelretch asked next, eyeing his heir with observant eyes. "Are they still bothering you?"

Hadrian was silent for several moments as he met his grandfather's gaze with an unreadable expression, then he sighed.

"Yes, they are. Not as much, but it does occur from time to time." Hadrian gave the old magician a knowing look. "As I'm sure you are aware."

By the last comment, Zelretch chuckled in amusement.

"No need for the cheek, enkel. I just wish to clarify your situation." The old magician smirked, causing the young heir to huff. Then, a calm yet solemn façade took over his weathered face. "When you return later, meet me in my workshop. I will need to examine your eyes again to see if there's any changes."

"After dinner, papa." Lucia interjected gently, causing the grandfather and grandson to turn to her in surprise. "Hadrian has just came home after a few months of investigation. It has been a while since we have had a family dinner, and I wish to spend some time around my son some more."

"Very well then." Zelretch relented with a fond smile, turning to Hadrian as he said. "After dinner, enkel."

…

* * *

…

After embracing his mother and some parting words, Hadrian left the office with his retainers.

Seated on his chair, the Magician of the Kaleidoscope looked on with a fond expression.

"Is it just me or has the little one grown?" Zelretch spoke after a moment of silence.

"He has, isn't it?" Lucia said with a hand on her cheek, a forlorn expression on her beautiful countenance.

"I think he has grown by a few inches or so. His shoulders also didn't looked that broad." Zelretch mused aloud, rubbing his bearded chin in thought. His crimson eyes with vertical pupils glowed brightly with mischief as he continued. "Hmm… he's beginning to look like a man. Admittedly on the beautiful side, but a true man nonetheless."

"My little one is not so little anymore…" Lucia commented sadly, the corners of her lips downturned a little.

"Bah, cheer up, daughter of mine. The boy still has a few years to grow, so you can still keep babying him." Zelretch replied nonchalantly, waving off her concerns.

Lucia giggled, covering her luscious lips with a soft, dainty hand as she did so. "I could, but I would rather not embarrass him by going overboard. Those female retainers of his seems to have given him enough trouble as is. Being subtle about my concern for his well-being is a much better approach."

"If you say so." Zelretch shrugged.

The old magician turned to Hugo, who leaned back slightly in surprise, clearly startled by the sudden attention heaped upon him by his employer.

"Now that I've heard of enkel's report, I wish to hear yours, Hugo." Zelretch began, his weathered face set into a calm and serious mask. "I want to know what you've seen on that island, and I do mean everything. Do not leave anything out, even the smallest of details." Then, he tapped his finger on the flash drive. "And after this, we shall take a look inside this thing and find out any information related to the recent events."

"As you command, Lord Zelretch." Hugo acquiesced, bowing his head slightly to the magician in deference.

The old magician stood up from his chair and looked out the window, his hands behind his back.

"This situation has gone far enough, and I almost lost my heir in the process." His crimson eyes glowed, a calm fury simmering beneath its depths even though his expression stayed neutral. "I want to find out the culprits to these… slaughters, and I want them found now."

"And what if it is just another clue, milord?" Hugo asked carefully, aware of his liege's current mood.

"Oh, we will find something." The magician of the Kaleidoscope stated, almost growling. "I can feel it in my bones, Hugo. I may have aged since that fight with the bloodsucking bastard, Crimson Moon, but my instincts remains sharp. If what we are looking for is not in that device, then I have another method that I can use."

"You'll be using the chair, papa?" Lucia asked.

"I would prefer not to, but I'd rather not risk enkel's safety anymore. So, I must." Zelretch sighed, rubbing the top of his brow to ease the incoming headache. "Enkel's claims of about those people had me worried the most. The operations of parallel worlds are under my purview, and I do not like it when the world – our world – has intruders, especially ones as troublesome as these."

Noticing the dark clouds hovering in the far distance, Zelretch pursed his lips at the ominous sight and continued.

"No, we will get to the bottom of this and find the perpetrators of these incidents." Glowing crimson eyes with reptile-like pupils narrowed dangerously. "And when we do, we will eliminate them."

…

* * *

…

[… **Clock Tower** …]

It didn't take long for Hadrian and co to arrive at the Clock Tower in London.

Escorting him on the way there were Charles, Dia and Arturia. His lavender haired servant, Medusa, however, had left from the group temporarily when she saw a bookstore nearby the building, which she used the latter to excuse herself and check to see if there were any new books in the establishment that she would like.

As per usual, his two familiars were inside a dark brown satchel to keep themselves hidden, they poke their little heads out to see their surroundings.

In his right hand, Hadrian was holding a medium sized box containing the food that his former mentor likes. He figured that he might as well bought something for Lord El-Melloi II since he had not seen him for the past few months, due to their mutual responsibilities and tasks for the Mage's Association.

When they stepped foot in the building, almost all eyes were upon them.

Specifically, on the young mage of the Schweinorg house, Hadrian.

Hadrian himself didn't pay the other mages sneaking glances and whispering at his wake any attention, considering as he was already too used to this kind of attention. The cheeky retainer, Charles, however, was not so ignorant. Instead, he took note of the whispers and glances, laughing quietly to himself from the small entertainment he was provided with.

Although, his fun gets cut off whenever he met the bright emerald eyes of Arturia Pendragon, who stared at him with a slight reproaching expression whenever she heard him laughed.

Having escorted his liege many times, Charles blinked when he realized that Hadrian was not going to the direction where his master's office was situated.

"Uh, master, I thought you're going to visit Lady Lorelei?" The cheeky retainer asked, slightly confused.

"I'm going to visit Lord El-Melloi II first." Hadrian answered without looking back. "There's something I must discuss with him first."

"Ah, okay." Charles nodded in acceptance.

After a few minutes, he and the other arrived to the office of his former mentor.

Hadrian rapped his knuckles gently on the dark wooden door before turning the knob and pushing it open, then he leaned the side of his body and checked the inside of the room.

Unlike most mages offices, Lord El-Melloi II's was a bit smaller and less decorated in wealth. But, his study was filled with many, many books and other various trinkets that offices of many magi were rarely seen without. His former mentor might be a lord of the El-Melloi household, but that was only in name and title.

The true heir (or heiress) to the house was deemed too young to take on the duties of a Lord, so his former mentor was simply holding the position till the heir becomes old enough to inherit the position.

"Hello?" The young mage greeted, then his brows raised upwards in surprise.

Instead of seeing Lord El-Melloi II, occupying the office were his three friends and fellow classmates, Flat Escardos, Caules Forvedge Yggdmillennia and Svin Glascheit.

And two of them were wrestling against one another, while the last was sighing at their antics.

"ACK! Stop it, you crazy bastard!" Caules shouted, looking highly irritated at the foolish blonde's actions.

"Ah, come on, Caules! It won't hurt, I promise!" Flat reassured, smiling widely.

The foolish blonde was trying to push his new invention towards his fellow classmate (guinea pig), who stared at the device with a wary eyes as he tried to keep it away with both of his hands.

Caules simply wanted to ask his teacher for advice, but he got ambushed by his blonde classmate, who was trying to make him test out a new invention that Flat himself made. Said invention seemed to look like one of those devices that he had seen a few years back, one that appears to be nuclear in nature.

Needless to say, Caules was unwilling to find out what the mystic code can do, especially when it was made by someone as unpredictable as Flat Escardos.

As if a final nail to the coffin, Flat's next words didn't gave the assurance that he thought it would bring to Caules.

"It'll just sting a little, aaaand then it'll be done!" Flat chirped with a refreshing grin.

"What are you talking about?! You're not making any sense, you dolt! First, it won't hurt. Now, it'll sting?! Make up your mind!" Caules demanded, annoyed by the grin the blonde was sporting.

"Just a little test, man! Come on! Don't be a baby! It'll go fine!" Flat encouraged, pushing the strange-looking mystic code.

"SHUT UP!"

Standing by the side of the couch his two classmates were wrestling on, Svin had his arms crossed over his chest and sighed.

"Idiots…" The docile-looking young man muttered under his breath.

Having seen enough, Hadrian had decided to make his presence known to them.

"What are you lot doing?" The young mage asked, his tone tinged with a bit of exasperation.

"Hm?" All three heads swiveled towards the door and their eyes widened when they saw him.

"Oh yo, Adri! You're back!" Flat greeted with a wide grin.

The foolish blonde got off the couch and skipped over to him, causing Caules to sigh in relief when the crazy blonde's attention was finally off of him.

Svin, who was standing near the couch, saw his reaction and smiled wryly. He then patted the spectacled mage's shoulder a few times in sympathy, causing the latter's eyebrows to twitch in irritation.

"Oh, is that for me, bruh?" Flat asked, pointing to the brown box he was carrying in his right hand.

"No, this is for Lord El-Melloi II." Hadrian said, smiling bemusedly at Flat's 'aww' of disappointment.

He was a bit thrown off guard by Flat calling him 'bruh', seeing as he was used to hearing it more from his male retainers than the foolish blonde.

"Hey, man, glad to see you again." Caules said with a small smile as Hadrian entered the room.

"Caules. Svin." The young mage gave the two a nod of acknowledgement, which Svin returned with one of his own.

"If you're here for Lord El-Melloi, he's not here." Svin spoke, having an idea of his reason to visit.

"Where is he then?" Hadrian asked instead.

"He's in a meeting with the High Council." Caules said with a sigh, glancing at Flat warily (who set his strange mystic code on his lap) from time to time.

"About what?" Hadrian inquired, curious by the reason.

"He's relaying our reports." Flat interjected, helping himself with some beverages and small cakes that he found (and stole) in his mentor's hidden refrigerator.

While Hadrian made no move to stop him, he has a feeling that his former mentor would not be so happy to discover that the food he kept in reserve was being devoured at a scary pace by Flat.

"Ah…" Hadrian nodded, understanding the situation.

'_Hmm, he's probably informing them of their recent findings_…' He mused, watching idly as his two familiars got out of the satchel to join Flat in devouring the food he spread on the coffee table.

While he made no move to stop the foolish blonde, he has a feeling that his former mentor would be pleased to know that the food he keeps for reserve for his gaming nights was currently being eaten by one Flat Escardos, who the head of El-Melloi household considered as an imbecile when it comes to magical theories on modern magecraft.

He was about to speak again when the door of the office suddenly slammed open, jolting his retainers into protective position.

But, they relaxed when they saw who it was.

Except for Hadrian, whose body shivered as a chill went down his spine at the sight of the newcomer.

Leaning against the doorframe was a familiar face, who has long blonde hair set into twin-tails and bright blue eyes. She has a crimson tight top with long sleeves and a large white cross symbol on the front, a black knee-length skirt, and a pair of black boots with high heels. She also wore a light brown peacoat designer to protect herself from the cold air.

She was a beautiful young woman with a tall and lithe form, but her features was currently set into a small scowl, which brought nothing but discomfort to Hadrian since he already knew that he is the source of her displeasure. Let it be said, Hadrian would rather take on a horde of alien spawns than a ticked off young woman, especially a talented mage of her caliber.

"Rin?!" Hadrian said in surprise, blinking at her sudden appearance.

Rin Tohsaka, who had her knees bent slightly and was panting slightly from exhaustion, snapped her head up and turned her gaze towards him.

She took a deep breath, steadying herself as she used her right hand to steady herself, and then it began.

The classic scenario in which Rin Tohsaka puts down Hadrian von Schweinorg, the elusive Heir of the Moon.

Despite all of his abilities and experience, Hadrian doubted there was anything that could prepare him when it comes to dealing with someone like Rin Tohsaka anyways.

"Hadrian!" She shouted, making him flinch slightly from the sound of her voice. "Why didn't you tell me that you're already here?!"

"Err… sorry?" Hadrian apologized, chuckling nervously.

In return, he heard a growl of annoyance from the heiress of the Tohsaka house, causing the normally calm and collected young mage to be sweating bullets.

The young mage didn't even noticed that he had sat down on the other couch that was facing the one that Caules and Flat were sitting on, who both appeared to be making themselves as unnoticeable as possible due to the intimidating presence of the twin-tailed heiress, Rin Tohsaka.

"Not once did you even call me when you're away. No messages, no calls. None!" Rin gritted out, uttering each word as she took a step towards him.

"Uh, I was busy!" He defended, slowly inching backwards as Rin's shadow began to loom over him.

"Busy enough to not take a few moments to call me and see if I'm even alive? What kind of ally are you?" She growled, her features almost twisting into a snarl.

And then, she was upon him.

Before he could speak another word to defend his case, Hadrian was interrupted as a pair of smooth and delicate hands found purchase on both of his cheeks, making him cry out in surprise and pain as they quickly began to pull and stretch his cheeks. Surprised as he was by his predicament, the current scenario was not exactly the first time she pulled it on him.

He saw her moved, but made no move to stop her nor did he ran away. Choosing either option would just stroke the female mage's irritation even further if he did so.

Thus, he was left with no choice but to face her wrath head-on, even if he won't be able to feel his face normally in a while.

Besides, knowing her, displaying her annoyance through actions was simply Rin's way of showing her concern for his well-being.

Well, at least that's what he wanted to believe anyways.

"Auuuuuugh!" Hadrian groaned, feeling his cheeks get stretched a bit.

"You might be cu– Ah, I mean! An ally but that won't always save you from me!" She declared loudly.

"Err, wut?" Hadrian asked, his pronunciation off-center as his face was still hindered by her grabby hands.

"Be quiet and take your punishment like a man!" Rin demanded, stretching his cheeks a bit more as she did so.

Although, from the observers' point of view, her words didn't exactly matched with her behavior as her own cheeks flushed in slight embarrassment and her stuttering earlier, causing a certain cheeky male retainer and a foolish-looking blonde mage to snicker at her slip (and his predicament, most likely) in the background.

Caules and Svin were more subtle in their amusement as they both smirked at the scene before them.

Dia and Arturia, however, remained loyal to their duties to him and began to save him from the heiress's iron-like clutches.

"Ms. Tohsaka, please release his majesty." Dia started, stepping forward like the brave knight he was.

"Indeed, he had recently recovered from an injury. Therefore, we would like for you to refrain yourself from… punishing our master too much." Arturia added, looking poised, regal and calm.

Hadrian, who still had his cheeks stretched by Rin, inwardly cheered at his two retainers' staunched loyalty in fulfilling their duties to him. He honestly felt touched by their actions, unlike a certain friend and cheeky retainer, who were just watching, content being in the background like the traitors they were.

He also couldn't count much on Svin and Caules, seeing as they feel no need to stop Rin from 'punishing' him.

To interfere would simply turn the heiress's irritation upon them as well, so they too stood by the background since she was not exactly hurting him too much. Hadrian can forgive these two, but not the two certified idiots (Charles and Flat) snickering in the sidelines. He will have to get even by the time his 'punishment' from Rin was over later on.

Hadrian might not be as prideful as his benefactor, Gilgamesh, and can ignore most slights at him as long as they were harmless in nature.

But after the time when the latter's had passed his powers unto him, the young mage's temperament had been changing a bit lately, almost taking after the golden king's but not quite. Nevertheless, the idea that his personality was changing, perhaps even becoming similar to Gilgamesh's, was a concerning thought for him to contemplate.

'_Perhaps I'll bring the matter up later to opa. He might know something_…' Hadrian mused, feeling disquieted by the possibility.

His musing came to a halt when he heard Rin sigh above him and (finally) released his cheeks, albeit in a reluctant manner.

Hadrian let out sigh of relief, massaging his cheeks slowly to ease the ache.

"Hmph, then I'll let you off the hook… for now." Rin relented with a small frown, crossing her arms below her chest.

The female mage lifted her chin up and stared him down from her dainty nose with an imperious expression.

Hadrian chuckled nervously, having a strange sense of déjà vu in the situation.

He had seen this side of herself in the past before, and that was during the time when she and Rani had assist him in the war since they had already lost their servants. Whenever his friend/ally acts like this, it only meant that she was concerned for him. But, he also needed to be honest with her, or else, there would be hell to pay later on.

"Erm… thanks." The young mage sighed, knowing that was best he was going to get from her as mercy.

"Hmm. Now, what's this thing I heard that you got injured?" Rin began, her brows scrunched and met in the middle.

'_Well… that was short-lived_.' Hadrian deadpanned, lamenting over the short lifespan of his relief since his answer would only further displease the Tohsaka heiress.

Buying himself some time, the young mage scratched his head as he considered his next words carefully.

Meanwhile, Rin tapped her low-heeled boot on the carpeted floor, raising one brow at him as she waited for him to speak.

"That is –" Hadrian began, opting for a gentle approach.

***BAM***

He was interrupted once more when the door to the office was slammed open.

All occupants in the room turned to the entrance, and they all had various reactions to the intruder. Most were curious or surprise, but one twin-tailed mage stiffened at the sight of the newcomer.

It was a young woman, who seemed to be a bit older than Hadrian.

She has long golden blonde hair styled in large coils that was set into twin-tails and held up by two blue ribbons, and dark amber eyes. She has a slim and athletic build, but more gifted in the chest area (which was something that always seemed to irk a certain twin-tailed mage whenever the subject of sizes comes up). She was also around the same height of Rin Tohsaka, much to her chagrin.

Like most female mages of noble statures, the young blonde-haired woman was also beautiful, easily displaying a beauty and grace similar to that of a swan. Her features alone were delicate and quite aristocratic, subtly hinting that she came from a long line of European nobility. Her proud bearing and balanced movements were also hints of her noble upbringing.

In contrast to a certain twin-tailed mage, the young woman wore a long blue dress with long sleeves. The dress was designed in a white and blue color scheme, but only some parts in the upper section of the dress were white, while most were colored in blue. She was also wearing a pair of long white boots with laces that seemed to be made of leather, and her hands were both covered with gloves.

Strangely though, her current behavior was not like a noble's as she happened to meet Hadrian's gaze by chance, looking just as surprised as he was.

"Ah, hello, Ms. Luvia." Hadrian broke out of his stupor and greeted her with a small smile.

The newcomer, Luviagelita Edelfelt (also known as Luvia), was one of Lord El-Melloi II students. He was not that personally close to her since he was already Lady Lorelei's apprentice by the time she registered into Lord El-Melloi II's class, but he does consider her a good acquaintance that he can count on.

She also happened to be related to Rin Tohsaka, who had gone strangely quiet by her sudden appearance.

From the corner of his eyes, he can see that her body had gone rigid, as if rooted in place. Hadrian was a bit tempted to look up and see her reaction, but his instincts were warning him not to.

Recalling his friend's relationship with Luvia, whose family was a distant cousin of the Tohsaka's, Hadrian knew that Rin's reaction to the latter's presence was not a welcome one.

His attention, however, snapped back to Luvia as the contours of her countenance brightened at the sight of his smile as she returned it with her own.

"Hadrian, welcome back, how are yo–"

***BANG***

"AUGH!"

The smiling face of Luvia Edelfelt contorted into a still grimace as a small black sphere (that looked suspiciously familiar) landed directly on her face, dead-center.

The force behind the Gandr (he later realized) caused the Edelfelt heiress to fly backwards, literally being lifted off her feet and away from the door. With the exception of one, all eyes had turned wide-eyed as they watched Luvia hit her back against the wall just outside of the office before gravity pulled her down and caused her to end up on the floor, face-down.

Hadrian blinked, then slowly turned his head to the right where he saw a smug-looking Rin Tohsaka with her right hand set into a pistol gesture.

The tip of her right index finger letting out a bit of steam, a solid evidence of her recent action that she seemed to take pride in doing.

From behind, some people couldn't help but make their comments.

"Ohhhohoho, bullseye!" Flat laughed, followed along by a few claps.

"That was awesome… but, that's gotta hurt too." Charles commented, unsure whether to be impressed or sympathetic.

"Ah, there they go again…" Caules muttered, sighing in resignation.

"By the way, Caul, why does Rin keeps calling Luvia tube-curls? I don't get it." Flat asked, turning to the spectacled mage with a confused expression.

"Seriously?" Caules gave him an exasperated look.

When the carefree blonde didn't budge and waited for him to explain, Caules sighed and surrendered.

He was about to speak, but Svin had beaten him to it.

"It's her hair, you fool." The docile-looking young man said in a low volume, eyes closing briefly.

"What he said." Caules added with a nod.

"Oh…" Flat paused, as if in thought, then he grinned goofily. "Ahaha, Rin's right. Her hair DOES look like curly tubes! Now, that's funny!"

His laughter turned into a surprised yelped as he found himself slapped in the back of the head by two hands.

"Shut it! Don't let Luvia hear you say that, you idiot!" Caules whispered furiously, pulling down Flat by the back of his neck as he glanced at Luvia in the distance with a wary expression.

"If you're going to be suicidal, do it far away from us." Svin grunted, scowling at the foolish blonde.

"Sorry!" Flat cried, properly cowered by their combined glares.

When there was movement nearby in the corner of his eye to the right, Hadrian switched his attention to Rin and saw her walk to the prone blonde.

"Sorry, tube-curls, I just saw your ugly face and felt the need to shoot something." She said in a not-so apologetic tone.

'_You always do that whenever you happen to see her_…' Hadrian deadpanned, recalling the times the two interacted. '_At least she didn't kick her in the neck again_…'

Silence reigned for a moment before a soft feminine grunt broke it.

The source was none other Luvia Edelfelt, who slowly tilted her head up and pushed herself from the ground in a careful manner. She moved her head, revealing a bleeding nose and a face that was a bit red (from anger), bruised and a bit dirty, starting from her forehead and down to her chin.

Regardless, she looked fine as she finally stood up, though the twitches of her eyebrow and the snarl on her lips indicated her anger.

"Grr… I can't believe that you would seriously fire a Gandr spell at a lady's face like this. This is why I can't stand unintelligent barbarians!" Luvia insulted, pointing an accusing finger at her assailant.

There was a hint of tears in the corner of her eyes, but Hadrian doesn't know whether that was from embarrassment for being caught off guard or from the pain of taking a Gandr shot to face.

The insult caused the twin-tailed mage to crack her knuckles in response, one at a time. Rin's eyes were overshadowed by her bangs as she glared at her distant cousin, baring her teeth in irritation.

"Don't get so haughty." Rin taunted through the ominous sounds of her cracking knuckles. "Just because you wear a dress and act ladylike, it doesn't change the fact that you're still a gorilla!"

"Quiet, you!" Luvia snapped back.

It wasn't long for the two to get into a fistfight and hair-pulling, and then all hell broke loose.

…

* * *

…

Lord El-Melloi II, formerly known as Waver Velvet, sighed.

He had just finished relaying the reports to the High Council and all he wanted to after was to relax for a few minutes in the safe confines of his office. It had always been that way, ever since the cases of strange murders around the world had begun a few months back. But, nothing can be done but for him to grit his teeth and endure the pressure.

However, it does annoy him that his time to play games had been cut off ever since the High Council had given him command to take a more firm position with investigating the murder cases.

Granted, he might be weak when it comes down to magical combat, but his skills in deductions and theories in modern magecraft were enough for the members of the High Council to choose him as one of the mages to lead the investigations. He gave them results, which was received positively by the High Council most of the time, but it was still irritating that his workload also increased.

Under his right arm, he was carrying a small stack of papers that details of the reports discovered by other teams, which he would have to read through later on. Preferably after some rest.

Thinking of the couch in his office calling out to him, Lord El-Melloi II let out another sigh.

Following him through the corridors, a young woman of small stature looked at the back of her mentor with a worried look on her face.

"Are you alright, teacher?" Gray asked, carrying a couple of books that belong to the man walking in front of her.

The former master glance back at her over his shoulder before turning his gaze to the front.

"I'm fine, Gray. I just need to get some rest." He assured her calmly. "Speaking to those old farts had never been easy nor simple. Every time I meet them, it's always stressful."

"Ah, then, would you like me to make you a cup of tea, teacher?" Gray offered.

"Yes, thank you. That would be appreciated."

While his words were stated calmly and almost in a nonchalant manner, it was enough to make Gray feel happy and smile.

The two walked to his office in comfortable silence, until they caught sight of two familiar figures in the distance.

They were about to ascend to the upper level of the building, but the two figures stood in their way.

The first was a young girl, who seemed no older than fifteen years old. She has a long brilliant blonde hair that cascaded down her back, a pale white skin reminiscent of a bisque doll, and clothes and grace that were similarly picturesque. She wore a dark blue attire with a sweater around her shoulders that was a darker shade of blue, a pair of long black stockings, and brown gloves and boots.

She was also wearing a small black beret on the side of her head, somewhat tilted and on the verge falling off, but it was supported by a silver metallic ornament that was on her right ear. The shape of the ornament appears to be similar to a head of a rose upon close inspection. But, out of all that, her most defining feature were her eyes.

Her eyes were a deep shade of blue, but clear and vibrant in color. They were blazing like fire, overflowing with strength and determination. In contrast to her eyes, the manner in which she held herself and calm and cold expression was similar to how an experienced mage of stature would appear.

Behind the young girl, there was a tall figure standing behind the former.

Said figure was a head and few centimeters taller than the young girl. She was dressed in a black maid uniform with a white apron, cap, and a large red ribbon on her neck. She was also wearing a pair of white stockings and black shoes with low heels. The figure seemed to be a female in appearance, but her skin was a color wholly unsuited to human beings; a shining silver.

Lord El-Melloi II stopped, frowning at the sight of the two figures.

His forehead creased especially when his gaze landed on the smaller figure of the two, considering as there was always something headache inducing that would come whenever he sees her.

With a resigned sigh, he forced himself to walk towards the pair, despite his great reluctance to ignore them entirely.

"Reines. Trimmau." He said by way of greeting.

In response, the young girl with long blonde hair smirked, putting one hand on her hip.

"Why hello there, older brother." Reines El-Melloi Archisorte returned.

The being standing vigilantly behind her, Trimmau, acknowledged his presence with a slight bow of her head.

Used to the maid golem's behavior, Lord El-Melloi II shifted his gaze to his 'little sister' instead.

"What are you doing here? Don't you have class?" The long-haired professor asked, wondering why she was on her way to his office.

Reines scoffed, tilting her head as she gazed to the side with a mild look of displeasure.

"Hmph, that tutor is just as incompetent as the last one. So, no, I don't have a class to attend to." She said in a nonchalant tone.

In other words, the tutor was either dismissed or 'at the bottom of hell'. Whichever was the answer, the reason behind such a thing was because they had done something to offend her, or perhaps she found them simply inadequate to teach her. Now, she was just wondering around the Clock Tower with Trimmau in tow to search some form of entertainment.

Sighing, Lord El-Melloi II closed his eyes briefly and pinched the bridge of his nose.

Assigning tutors with great credentials to educate the princess of El-Melloi house had often been a difficult task for him, and now, she had turned away a tutor that had only lasted for a week. The long-haired professor hoped that the tutor was alive and mostly unharmed. Last time, the previous one was left traumatized, to the point that even the slightest noise was enough to make him jump in fright.

Lord El-Melloi II had not seen a shade of hair nor hide of that tutor ever since then.

Noticing that his first question was unanswered, Lord El-Melloi II spoke again.

"You didn't answer my first question, what are you doing here, Reines?" He repeated, observing his 'little sister' carefully for any signs of lie.

The smirk from before made a return as she noticed the suspicious look on his face.

"Oh nothing, I was just on my way to your office and I found something interesting." She explained vaguely.

"And what's that?" Lord El-Melloi II inquired, his frown deepening at the mischievous tone lying beneath her gentle voice.

"Like I said, something interesting." Reines grinned.

The mere sight caused a seed of dread to appear in the pit of his stomach.

Just as he was about to insist on getting a real answer out of her instead of vague words, a loud noise of something breaking thundered above their heads.

Four eyes snapped to the ceiling with expressions that varied from surprise and curiosity, then they heard muffled voices that were loud enough to pass through the concrete. Two female voices were heard, shrieking at one another, and Lord El-Melloi II recognized both of them entirely.

The color from his face began to drain the longer he listened.

"HAH! YOU THINK THAT SUPLEX'S ENOUGH TO KNOCK ME OUT?! C'MON, GORILLA!"

"I'M GONNA RIP THOSE STUPID PIGTAILS OUTTA YOUUUUUU!"

***BANG***

***CRASH***

"OI! THAT'S ENOUGH!"

"STOP THEM!"

The second he heard another crash, the long-haired professor bolted, going pass an amused-looking Reines and an impassive-looking Trimmau and up the stairs as if the hounds of hell were nipping at his feet. He didn't even heard Gray calling after him as he went up the stairs as fast as his weak body can allow.

His destination: the office.

By the time he arrived, he was panting and ready to keel over out of pushing his weak body past its limits.

But Lord El-Melloi II persevered, gritting his teeth as he forced the doors to his office to open.

Only to gasped as he was immediately horrifying sight.

His office was in disarray. Splinters of wood and broken glass were cluttered in the center of the room where the coffee table had once stood. The couches were moved and tumbled over, and there were small holes littered all over them that were two to three centimeters wide. The bookshelves were also damaged and skewed, with most of the books on the ground, dirtied and trampled upon.

Seeing his precious tomes and research notes lying carelessly on the stained wooden floor was enough to bring the normally composed professor onto his knees in despair.

"NOOOOOOO!" He wailed.

The sound his voice caused the occupants in the room to snap their attention to him in surprise.

Lord El-Melloi II, however, didn't care about that. Instead, anger had replaced his sadness like a switch.

Immediately, his eyes sought out the probable suspects for the cause of his once clean office, ignoring the sheepish looks on his students' faces.

Taking notice of the two twin-tailed haired cousins, who were still fighting and pulling each other's hairs… and somehow remained oblivious to his presence.

"Grrr… let go, you gorilla!" Rin shouted, glaring at the blonde.

"You let go first, you insolent barbarian!" Luvia fired back, returning the glare with equal ferocity.

Righteous anger bubbled up in his chest, Lord El-Melloi II didn't noticed Gray nervously backing away from him as he quickly pointed an accusing finger at the two idiots rumbling on top of the coffee table that seemed to be on its last legs. Not that it was any better since the glass surface was already broken and beneath the boots of the two distant cousins.

With his teeth bared in anger, he shouted at the two perpetrators for the current state of his office.

"NOT YOU TWO AGAIN!"

…

* * *

**Author's Note**

* * *

…

**Well, that's it for now.**

**That's another chapter down. And like the title of the chapter says, it's quite a chaotic day for Hadrian here.**

**Some of you noted that the previous chapter had quite a lot of content in it, and I agree. It was quite a lot. I actually debated whether I should cut it into two chapters, but I figured I might as well just put it into one instead. I couldn't help it since it was just sitting in my folder, so I might as well include all of that.**

**In this chapter, ya'll don't need to worry about it being long. It's 10k worth of words. The last chapter was special, so the total of words in this one is just average in my opinion.**

**Anyways, hope you guys enjoyed that reunion. I did mentioned a few chapters back that certain characters in canon would be making an appearance in the story. So, here they are.**

**Also, I know that Rin Tohsaka (of Fate/Extra) had a cousin, but I don't know who they are. The devs didn't really specify their identity, so I just made Luvia Edelfelt play the part.**

**Interestingly enough, Rin Tohsaka (FE) is somehow related to the OG Rin Tohsaka. Dunno the actual specifics, but it was said that she was her niece or something. Some speculate that she was even Tokiomi's illegitimate daughter through some woman he met a long time ago, which I think is not right.**

**It's more fitting for her to be OG Rin's niece than a step-sister, which would be weird if it was the opposite.**

**Also, I started another story. I know I said this before, but it's the truth.**

**I just haven't had the time to do some serious work on it due to rl stuff. I also need to edit some chapters in that story, so the progress is kind of slow at the moment.**

**It's somewhat related to this one, but it's a cross-over with a different story. It's another Fate crossover, but with a story that I don't think most people know about before.**

**I'll admit, I'm a bit hesitant in writing that story, but that's just my introvert side talking. Publishing the story might probably label me as some kind of a pervert, but to be honest, I blame my damn curiosity into reading a certain manga. Frankly, it was due to another manga that I got to read that damn thing. Didn't even know that I was looking at hentai in the first place.**

**My poor brain and eyes was unprepared. The damn thing might as well be labelled as hentai due to the amount of sex in the story, which is a shame because the art was beautiful.**

**So, here I am, making a fanfiction involving a different universe with another Fate crossover because I'm frustrated by the lack of actual plot that was in that story. I just find myself a bit resigned whenever I think of what happened in canon, especially at the end of it. The story went from good to worse, like literally.**

**I don't know why, but the authors seemed more interested into making one sex scenes after another in every chapter than improving the plot.**

**Hence, my frustration over the matter. And so, a fanfiction story was born out of it. Hurray…**

**Anyways, for those who doesn't like harem, I suggest you steer clear of that story. I'll tag it as a harem just to give you guys a heads up.**

**I'm a healthy adult, so do forgive me for my candid interest on an unusual genre like harem.**

**So, anti-harem readers, you have been warned.**

**If you see a tag harem in one of my stories, don't click on it. I mean it… O_O**

**With that said, that's all for now, guys. I'll see you all next time with the new chapter.**

**Stay safe and healthy, people. Eating healthy and staying healthy is important, especially in these dark times of ours.**

**Au revoir, and a Happy Halloween! :)**

…

* * *

**Q & A**

* * *

…

**Dxhologram:**

**A** – No, it hasn't been a kind year to all of us.

And yeah, pretty much.

…

**Journey to the End:**

**A** – Hadrian found Angra Mainyu when he was sent to find a distortion of malevolent magical energy in Fuyuki, courtesy of Zelretch.

In actuality, the 'Holy Grail' there (which was the source of Angra Mainyu's anchor to reality) was the one that Zelretch sensed. Rather, it was Angra Mainyu's evil energy leaking out from the grail that was the cause, not the guy himself. From what I know of him, he's actually quite chill. Bit sadistic and murder-frenzy, but chill overall.

The rest was history from there.

As for King Hassan, that's because of Hadrian's compatibility with anything related to death. If you recall, one of the main patrons of his family (Lucis, I mean) was Etro, the goddess of death. His own lineage literally became the catalyst to summon the old man of the mountain. The Moon Cell handled the rest of the hard work to pull the old man out from the Throne of Heroes.

His luck (which he inherited from Gilgamesh) also played a part in the result.

…

**Doortolight47:**

**A** – Thanks for understanding, and the concern.

My family's alright now, that's what matters :)

…

**Gen2324:**

**A** – I know, it's quite a lot.

I guess I should have cut it into two parts.

…

**Shiroyasha Rises:**

**A** – Hadrian will have his own spotlight soon.

What happened to him in the previous chapter is more of a reason to show him that he's still weak.

I want to motivate him to get stronger, and among other things ;)

…

**fruitspunchsamurai-987:**

**A** – Oh, it's fine.

The chapter was just sitting there, so I wasn't exactly pushing myself.

In hindsight, I should have cut the chapter into two. Guess I was too excited… (-_-')

As for my brother, he's fine too. Healthy as he can be. His test result turning out negative was a false alarm, so everything's okay now.

He just visited me the other day, and gave me a bit of a headache. He can be annoying when he wants to.

…

**The Loud Person:**

**A** – No, the Royal Arms won't be enough to kill the Spider.

With the help of the Royal Arms and the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, it's possible. But, he'll need great control in using the latter.

Still, as you can see, he's dealing with painful headaches every time his mystic eyes acts up.

He'll need proper training to make use of the mystic eyes. He can endure the pain, but he has yet to actually use them.

Something to explore later on, which should be fun.

…

**Kensei-1085:**

**A** – Thanks, my family's okay now though :)

And yes, I hope things do get better in the future. Not just for me, but for everyone.

…

**Derek:**

**A** – Hopefully, it'll be over soon.

Also, I did say (in some previous chapters ago) that there'll be a twist with the Spider encounter :)

…

**Finn:**

**A** – Probably shock, and then sad.

Arturia is Hadrian's first Servant. So, even if (Lancer) Arturia doesn't know him, she's still related to his servant.

He'll probably have a soft spot for her if they do happen to meet. If she tries to kill him, Hadrian will most likely be contrite in fighting her.

He will still fight her, but he'll be feeling guilty and sad in the end.

…

**redavaris:**

**A** – That's because it has yet to actually involve the HP verse.

If you read my AN notes in some previous chapters, you'll notice that I've said there that the pacing of this story will be a slow one.

For the moment, I'm showing the readers the MC's life in the Fate verse. I don't want him to suddenly jump into a different world for no reason. That would make even less sense.

Why jump into a different world when there's no purpose to it? So, he's in Fate verse throughout these previous chapters.

But, that will change soon once he's given a reason.


End file.
